For All of Eternity
by StarnightX
Summary: Hikaru comitts suicide, but is forced by Jashin to come back to Earth. What will she do when she runs into the man she thought she loved? KakuzuxOC A bit of HidanxOC, not really, but some. Rated T for cussing and what not.
1. Prolouge

**Prologue **

Why should I give you a second chance?

The only thing you've given me was a plastic heart,

While you lead me away in iron chains.

The feelings you portrayed were fake, fraud, illusions.

The gifts you gave were simply part of your plan.

The 3 words you said were absolutely meaningless.

I foolishly walked in the dark

And it wasn't until I stumbled,

When I would see the light

And the true man, who hid under the mask.

It had only been 3 months since I met him. It only took 3 months to fall madly in love. I admit I was very naïve to believe that he felt the same. Why did I believe him? How could I believe him? He never wanted me for me. He wanted me for the money.

Stabbed from the behind,

I thought I could believe in you.

This pain is overwhelming me.

And you know I've never been a masochist.

So why did you do this to me?

Wouldn't you wonder how I'd feel?

Oh wait, I forgot that you just didn't care.

I cannot explain to you how it feels to be stabbed in the back by someone you loved. You probably wouldn't understand by reading a small description, unless you've experienced the same pain yourself. I cannot explain to you how it feels to be used by someone you loved. Again, you'd probably wouldn't understand unless, you've experienced it yourself. But you must understand, I loved this man very much. I would have done anything and everything for him if it made him happy. You must understand that I didn't realize that he simply wanted to rob my family's greatest treasure for a profit.

You're like a song stuck on repeat.

You're flashing in my head over and over again.

I just want you out of my head

And as I'm driven to madness,

I'm also driven off the edge,

Into this dark pit called death.

I can't seem to live without you.

When he left with the family ring, I made no effort to stop him. Instead I feel to my knees and cried, while he left my family compound. The days following his departure, the rest of the members said it wasn't my fault and that there was no way I would've been able to stop him. He was too strong. Yet still I cried rivers down my cheeks, not because I let the family ring get away, but because the love of my life left me.

I couldn't take how lonely I felt, now that he was gone. I couldn't take anymore of this life, because I thought that a life without him was no life at all. And so, with my kunai I took my own life.

Kakuzu, I cannot live without you.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Review Please**

**Thoughts are in **_italics._

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Into darkness,

I see nothing, I hear nothing

But I feel myself moving forward,

Towards the fate God had decided for me after my death.

What will happen when I stop walking?

Will I end up in heaven?

Or will I find myself in hell?

|/*\|

**57 Years Ago**

If this is what it's like to die, then it's not so bad. After my own blade pierced my stomach, the pain soon left and I could feel nothing. This isn't so bad after all I couldn't feel…I couldn't see…I calmly fell into nothingness, sweet bliss at last.

When I next opened my eyes, I was surrounded by darkness. Is this where you go when you die? Into darkness? Not knowing what else to do, I began to walk. I walked and walked and walked, until I saw a faint light in the distance. I continued to walk calmly towards the light. I couldn't see any of my surroundings, but I felt no fear. After all who or what could possibly harm someone who is already dead?

As I approached the light, I notice that the black that surrounded me turned to white and I stopped walking at the dividing point between the two colors. For some reason, I was unable to move my legs. I couldn't walk into the white room.

"**Katamiya Hikaru."**

"Who is there?" I asked calmly, after all I wasn't afraid.

In front of me a symbol of an upside down triangle, encircled by a circle, formed in black smoke. **"It is I, Jashin."**

"Did you need anything, Jashin-san?"

"**You cannot continue on."**

"Why not?"

"**You have committed a great sin and do not deserve to move on."**

"What sin would that be?"

"**Suicide."**

"And so are you here to drag me down to hell?"

"**No, I'm here to send you back to Earth."**

My calm façade broke."Why would you send me back!"

"**Because you don't want to be sent back and therefore it will serve you as your punishment."**

I stared at the symbol. "But why? Do you usually send people who committed suicide back to Earth?"

"**No, but you're a different case. I think Destiny has decided you'll be meeting a follower of mine."**

"A follower? What the hell are you? A God or something?"

"**More or less…You'll be sent back to Earth, but as an immortal."**

"What! I'll never get to die!"

"**Funny, most humans would actually accept the gift of immortality graciously. Send my regards to my follower for me…"** A black hand came out of nowhere, through the triangle. It looked like it had been burned and I backed away. Of course I wasn't fast enough and the hand grabbed my forehead. It felt very hot, as if someone had set my forehead on fire and I screamed. It seemed to sear into my flesh and the pain was unbearable. My surroundings went black once more.

* * *

My head was pounding. "Onee-san! You're finally awake! Are you okay, un?" I opened my eyes to see a random little kid sitting above me. I sat up quickly and we bumped foreheads. "Ouch!" we both yelled, rubbing our foreheads.

"Deidara! Deidara-kun, are you alright? I heard a yell and I…" An old woman entered the room. She looked from me, to Deidara, back to me again. "Y-y-you're awake…more importantly, you're alive!"

I stared at the crazy old woman. "Why? Was I asleep long?"

"You've been asleep for…57 years. I still remember when my father found you in the canyon all those years ago."

"And you kept me all this time?"

"Yes, you see…well…maybe I should just show you." She left the room and returned with two items in her hand. She held up the first, a necklace with an upside down triangle encircled by a circle.

"J-j-jashin?"

"Yes, my father believed that you were a follower of Jashin and decided to take care of you. He found you a few days after my older sister died. He thought you were a gift from Jashin, replacing for the lost of my older sister." The old woman paused.

"Where am I?"

"You're in Iwagakure." Iwagakure. That means the family compound is close by…but should I really go back? They probably won't even know who I am since it's been 57 years. "This belongs to you," she said, giving her the Jashin necklace and I put it on. "That's how we knew you were a follower of Jashin. I guess this also belongs to you." She then gave me another necklace, with a heart shaped locket. I stared at it as though it were a ghost. It was the locket Kakuzu gave me all those years ago. I clutched it in my hands. "This is why we thought you were a gift to us, my sister had heart locket just like this one."

I stared at the old lady. "Can I ask you your name?"

The old woman smiled to me kindly. "Of course, I'm Katamiya Shizu, but enough chat, I must go make dinner, Deidara please keep her company." She left the room, leaving me alone with the 5 year old girl. I looked at the door, Shizu walked through; a million thoughts seemed to be running through my head. That old woman loved to listen to the rain, go butterfly catching, and eat strawberries. How did I know this? She is my little sister.

"Onee-san, un?"

I turned my head back to the little girl and smiled, to hide my feelings. "So you're name is Deidara? That's an odd name for a girl…"

"I'm not a girl! I'm a boy, un!"

"AH! Go-gomenasai! It's just that…that…your hair was so pretty …I thought you were the daughter of a model…or something like that…" I struggled in finding a good excuse.

"Really? My hair **is **pretty isn't it, un?" Deidara said smugly…arrogant little bastard. "So what's your name?"

"Hikar...Hikari." I said, pausing for a moment, it might be cause trouble if Shizu found out who I really was. It's probably best for her to believe that I'm dead.

"Oh, well your hair is pretty too Onee-san. It's so long and white…"

"Eh?"

"White. It's so white, it looks like it shimmers in the light, un."

I stared at the boy. "Are you blind? My hair is dark brown and it does not shimmer in the light!" I said as if shimmery hair was a bad thing.

"You make shimmery hair sound like it's a bad thing," Deidara commented, voicing my thoughts. "C'mon, I'll show you, un." Deidara pulled me by the wrist and took me into the bathroom, where I let out a bloody curling scream.

"What the hell happened to me!" I shouted, pulling on my now white hair.

"Onee-san, you shouldn't cuss. That's baaaaaad, un." I paid no attention to Deidara's comment because I was too busy staring at the mirror, poking my face, to see if the reflection I saw was really me or not.

"Damn it Jashin, what the hell did you do? If you weren't in the land of the dead, or wherever the hell I was, then I would totally kick your ass right now!" I yelled at the air.

"What are you yelling at, un?"

"Jashin."

"Shizu-baachan said that he's a god, isn't he a god, un?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well you can't really kick a God's ass right? Aren't they absolutely perfect, un?"

"I guess so…"

"Then that means there's no way a God would lose to you Onee-san!"

My eyebrow twitched. "Will you just shut up?"

"Hey, I'm not the one talking to myself, un."

I held up a shaking fist. "You little…"

"Ahem," a new voice announced its presence in the room. I looked at the door and saw a younger woman, her hair was dark brown and she had very blue eyes. "I-if you like you can take a bath now. One of the baths are free…"

"Oh, is this a bathhouse?"

"No, it's an orphanage. There are many here so having two or three bathrooms are necessary."

"Oh…" I then pointed down at Deidara. "So this little brat right here isn't yours?"

"HEY, UN!"

The woman laughed softly and shook her head. "Come, you should wash now."

* * *

I submerged my head under the bath water. _Buru buru buru buru…_ I began to blow bubbles. 57 years… have I really been "dead" for that long? The rest of my family has grown old without me, falling in love, having children.

From what I could remember, my conversation with Jashin didn't last very long. How did that conversation last 57 years? What am I suppose to do for the rest of eternity anyways? Walk around pretending to be some kind of a Jesus, preaching the word of God?

"**Have you forgotten already? You need to find my follower."**

I looked around the bathroom to find the source of the voice I heard. I could tell it was Jashin speaking; I just didn't know where he was.

"You know how creepy it is having an invisible god spy on you while you bathe?"

"**I'm surprised you're not freaking out."**

"With the crazy shit you put me through, how would I be freaked out by hearing your voice?" My eyes were narrowed, at what I don't know.

"**Is it that time of the month already?"**

"Hey, you're the one who created 'that time of the month'! If you're gonna complain about PMSing females then complain to yourself! Besides, can you blame me for being mad! After all you decided to make me immortal, walk the world for eternity and look for some follower that I don't even know!"

"**You don't have to yell. In fact you don't have to say anything, I can read your thoughts. Besides, I think the kind people, who are taking care of you right now, think you're crazy since you keep talking to yourself."**

I rubbed the side of my temples with my fingers. _"What the hell do you want from me?"_

"_**I want you to search for my follower."**_

"_Then what?"_

"_**Spread my word and spread Jashinism."**_

"_What the hell! Why would I want to do that for the rest of eternity! Why can't you just let me 'move on' or whatever!"_

"_**Like I said before, punishment."**_

"_So I __**am**__ suppose to act like Jesus!"_

"_**For one, Jesus never really existed. Two, you're not going to act like Jesus, you'll be more like one of his followers."**_

"_Wait a damn minute! I don't get to be Jesus! Why the hell am I following you anyway!"_

"_**Please remember I control your fate, disobey and you go straight to hell."**_

"_Fine, so who is this great Jesus-guy you're talking about?"_

"_**Why would I tell you?"**_

"_So I could find him, why else!"_

"_**You'll have to find him yourself, that's the job I assigned you after all. Don't forget to pray."**_

"_That can't be it, Jashin. Jashin, Jashin…_Jashin!" I yelled, my fists hitting the water. "Chikusho!" I ran a hand through my hair. If I had known that suicide would make my problems worse, then I never would have done it.

|/*\|

My death was like a dream,

Because when I woke up,

I found myself back in reality,

Back in this world,

The place I was trying to escape from.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: I really was reluctant in posting this chapter because I'm not even half way done with Chapter 3, ah well. Please review and if you have time, visit my profile, thank ya. **

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Sometimes we must accept fate,

I must accept that I will live forever,

That some people I care for will be taken away from me,

That the people I care about will eventually die.

I wonder what I will do then?

|/*\|

**Still 57 Years after Hikaru's Death**

It's been one month since I woke from my long slumber. Shizu was kind enough to let me stay at the orphanage in exchange for labor. I never told her who I really was. If I told her I was her sister, who committed suicide all those years ago, I doubt she'd believe me.

If I wasn't cleaning, cooking or watching the orphans play outside, I was usually with Deidara. I kind of think of him as the little brother I never had, annoying and lovable in every way. Every day I would go pick him up at the Ninja Academy.

"So how'd your test go today, Dei-kun?"

"It was easy! I am a genius you know, un!"

"Stuck up little brat, just because you can blow stuff up with your hands, doesn't mean that you're a genius." I scowled at him, but then again, his graduation test was next week and the chances of him passing were high. I really don't see why I keep denying he's a little genius, especially if he graduates at 8 years old. I don't think I graduated until I was 10.

"Ne Onee-san, were you ever in the Ninja Academy, un?"

"Yeah, I graduated when I was 10."

"Ha, that means I'm smarter than you right, un?" The next thing Deidara knew, I had him in a head lock.

"Say that one more time Brat!" I held him in that position for a while before releasing him and continuing to walk down the street. "Besides, I'll have you know that I eventually became a Jounin."

"How old were you? 25, un?"

"How old do you think I am?"

"At least 57 years, un." I sweat-dropped. He had a point, although I'm technically 74 years old. 74 years old… "WAH! I'm sooo old!" Waterfalls were flowing down my cheeks as I collapsed and held onto Deidara for support.

"O-Onee-san! Get off, un!" I kept holding onto him until we were passing by a park. There were a few children running around, swinging on swings, climbing on bars, sliding down slides. They looked around 7 or 8 years old. I looked down at Deidara and back at the kids playing at the park and down at Deidara again.

"Deidara, why don't you go play with other kids?"

"Why would I do that, un?"

I was quiet for a moment. I laughed a bit uneasily. "I really don't know. Don't you want to play?"

"That's a waste of time. I'd rather be training instead, un." Deidara was staring straight ahead and I could tell that he was hiding something; I knew exactly what that something was.

"You know what Deidara, I think your hands are pretty cool."

"What, un?"

"Yeah, they're really different, unique, that's what makes you so special. I'm sure any village would be lucky to have you as Jounin."

"I haven't even graduated yet, un."

"But that doesn't mean you won't be." I smiled down at him and he smiled back. "You know what Deidara, I here-by proclaim you as my best friend. Let's go get some ice-cream to celebrate!"

Deidara nodded and we went off to the ice-cream shop. Just as we were about to enter, a teenage guy about 18 or 19 years old stopped us. "Hey, would you like me to treat you to some ice-cream?"

I blinked. "Uh…are you talking to me?"

"Do you see any other beautiful ladies around you?"

"Well…" I began. How should I tell him I'm not into him? I don't think telling him that I'm really a 74 year old woman stuck in a 17 year old's body. That would be awkward.

"Your little friend can join us too if you want."

"What are you…." BOOM! BOOM!

"Holy Shit!" The guy yelled jumping back. Two miniature bombs went off by his feet. After he collected himself, he looked back at us and pointed at Deidara. "Hey, you're that freak with the mouths on his hands! Are you crazy!"

I glared at him. "I think it's time for you to go now." His eyes twitched and it looked like he had something else to say, but he left grumbling to himself. I looked down at Deidara, who was glaring at the guy walking away. He looked so cute and I couldn't hold back.

"AW, Deidara you look too cute! Thank you for setting off those bombs off." I was hugging him so tight that he couldn't breathe.

"Stop it. I only did it because he was a jerk, un."

"Aw, were you jealous Deidara?"

"No, un!"

"I love you too, Deidara."

Eleven years has passed since I woke up from my longer slumber and met my dear, and annoying, friend Deidara. We didn't stay in Iwagakure for long, since Deidara decided to become a terrorist bomber, for what reasons I do not know. I of course insisted on traveling with him, but he was hesitant in bringing me along. It seems as he grew older, our positions changed. Instead of me looking out for Deidara, Deidara developed the annoying, but sweet, habit of protecting me. But since I was trained in combat and had Jashin on my side, he allowed me to come along.

I admit during the last eleven years, I've become more religious and more devoted to Jashin. To me he granted inhumane strength and speed, in return I prayed daily and performed his works, a very simple relationship between a human and a God.

But now I stood next to Deidara, I looking at the 3 men in front of us. I whispered. "Deidara, I don't like this situation at all." I was very doubtful that we would be able to defeat the 3 men in front of us; after all they were members of the Akatsuki.

"Deidara, from Iwagakure?" This came from the tall blue man.

"Yeah."

"We want you to join Akatsuki."

"Akatsuki? Why would I care? You're just interfering with my affinity for art."

The weird thing on the floor, in between the two other members, spoke. "So this is the kid that's supposed to be my partner? He's got some fight in him, but he seems like the type that dies young." What was he? A turtle? I couldn't help but stare.

The man with black hair spoke next. "This was an order from our leader, so we have to make use of his abilities."

"You know of my abilities? Who…are you, un?"

The blue man spoke again. "You're a bomb terrorist who's involved with anti-government organizations in multiple countries. What purpose does that hold for someone like you?"

"Purpose? There is no purpose. I just blow stuff up when people ask me to using my creations, un."

The turtle thingy spoke again. "Creations?"

Deidara spoke. "That's right." He took clay out from his pouch and made a spider bomb, C1. "Look! There's such detail in the lines that it exceeds a two dimensional form…"

"_Oh Jashin, here he goes,"_ I thought to myself. Sometimes I worry for his sanity, it could bring the end of him…then what would I do? Wait, what will I do when he dies? I don't think I could walk this world forever alone.

"…Art…is a bang!"

"Annoying."

"Is he done yet?"

"Who knows?" It was the turtle thingy that spoke. I had to bite back a laugh.

I think it was the man with black hair that spoke next; I was too busy staring at the turtle thingy to be sure. "It doesn't matter. I'll take care of it."

"You wanna go, un?"

"If I win, you will join Akatsuki." My stomach fell. There's no way Deidara's gonna win. He doesn't know anything about the enemy's attacks or fighting style and the enemy already knows about Deidara's ability. Deidara was already at a disadvantage. Could this be the way things were suppose to be? Is this where Deidara and I separate? Take different paths? I don't know if I could continue life without him. He can't lose.

"Don't underestimate me or my art. My ninjutsu is nothing short of true art, un!" He reaches into his pocket then throws another bomb at the man. "Experience my art!" The spider shape bomb flies at the guy, but he moved backed to the wall, in between to statues. "Katsu!" A beautiful light display goes off, accompanied by dust. The man didn't come up from the smoke. For a moment I thought Deidara won, I looked over at him to see that he had his own bomb centipede, wrapped around himself.

"Deidara! Deidara! What the hell do you think you're doing!"

Deidara laughs. "Is that it, or are you really just all talk? It's over, yeah!" I tried to pry the centipede of him, but it wouldn't budge. "Deidara! Deidara!"

"Eh? Nani?" Deidara began to struggle against the centipede.

The blue man spoke. "Just in time. If we waited just a bit more, you would've blown yourself up."

The turtle spoke again. "I told you this kid was the kind that dies young."

"Genjutsu? When, un?"

The blue man answered. "From the start. From the first moment you looked into Itachi-san's Sharingan, you were caught in his genjustsu." I looked back at the opening in the wall and a bright light came out of the hole in the wall, out climbed Sharingan user. The way he stood at the opening and the way the light shone out from behind him…it looked so unreal…he looked like a god.

Deidara released the centipede from around himself and put a hand to his forehead. "You have lost," Itachi-san said.

"Dei-Deidara." I put a hand to his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. I could tell he was mad because he lost…he lost. This means he must go with the Akatsuki. I removed my hand and turned to leave the building.

"Hikari, where are you going, un?"

"I don't remember being offered a spot in the Akatsuki Deidara."

"De-demo…"

I shook my head. "I don't think it'd be a good idea."

"Yeah, but you're im-

"Urusai! Don't ever mention that okay?"

"Hikaru, where will you go, un?"

"You know the mission I received. I have to find him. It's been 11 years and I still haven't found him." I turned to see Deidara's face. For a brief moment, I saw the 8 year old boy I met those 11 years ago. I thought the day I separated from him would be a long time from now, but I guess I was wrong. If our separation is the will of Jashin, then so be it. I smiled. "Ja ne."

I walked towards the exit.

* * *

"Itachi-san, do you really think we should let her walk away? She might tell someone of our where abouts." I asked.

Itachi sighed. "If you must…"

I grinned. In a flash I was in front of the girl, Samehada in hand. "Did you need something?" She asked.

"I'm afraid we can't let you walk freely. I'll rip you to shreds."

She sighed and took out what looked like a long metal pole. "If you wanted to dance, then you should have just said so."

I swung Samehada and she dodged swiftly and attempted to his me with her pole, which I blocked. "Hikaru, un!" I heard the new kid yell.

I couldn't believe it; she actually turned her head to look at the kid. "Deidara, I don't want you interfering. That will bring you nothing but trouble…" I swung Samehada at her neck, it only went about a quarter inch in, before I pulled it out. _"That should have been enough to killer her," _I thought as she fell to the floor, her red blood staining the floor.

"Hm…too bad! That wasn't as fun as I thought that'd be."

"Hurry up Kisame, we're wasting enough time as it is," Sasori said impatiently. We all began to exit the building, but that Deidara kid was still looking at the girl, as if he thought she was about to get up and move.

"C'mon kid, it's not like she's going to get up anytime soon. She's no immortal. Her chakra level was pretty low too. Why were you even traveling with her anyways?"

"You better shut up before I blow you up, un!" His hand was already reaching into his pouch.

"Deidara," I heard a feminine voice call out. "I told you not to interfere with my fight." I spun on my feet to see the girl standing, rubbing her neck with her hand. She then clasped her hands together, as if in prayer and began murmuring. I could feel her chakra rising. I ran forward and swung Samehada again, but I heard the ping of medal. I looked down to see she blocked with her metal pole. My eyes widened, the wound I gave her had healed.

"With the energy Jashin bestows upon me, I will, to the best of my ability, show you his power."

|/*\|

Sometimes we think we have no say,

Or that we can't change the fates Gods have chosen for us,

Yet will still fight against it.

I wonder if I'll win the battle against Jashin.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait, I've been busy with school and whatnot. If you ever want to know when the next chapter is coming out or how much of the next chapter I've written, then I suggest visiting my profile. Sometimes I post little updates on how long you'll have to wait for the next chapter. Thank you to people who have reviewed/subscribed, I hope to see more reviews/subscriptions soon! :3 **

* * *

**Chapter 3**

No matter how much we guess about what will happen in our future,

We'll never know.

Destiny works in strange ways

And he's always changing his mind.

|/*\|

I watched Hikaru and the tall blue man engage in battle. I wasn't too worried that she would die, but if she gets a serious injury, she won't be able to fight for a while. I watched their weapons clashed, Hikari's thin pole against the man's huge ass sword. I'm surprised that her pole hasn't cracked yet beneath the weight. The more I watched, the more anxious I began to feel. It looked like neither was winning.

"Kisame, will you hurry up? You're taking too long." I think it was the weird turtle shaped thing on the floor that spoke.

I heard the shark man growl and Hikari laughed. "Do you really want your friend to die so quickly?"

"Hey, don't go think you're like some great shinobi. You haven't even landed a scratch on me."

"Not yet." Hikari leapt towards the blue man again.

Fifteen minutes, later they were now about 10 feet away from each other, panting heavily. The ground around them was wet, thanks to Mr. Blue over there. I can't believe Hikari has been fighting Mr. Shark Boy for fifteen minutes, and they're still attacking each other with their weapons and jutsus. It really shouldn't take this long to defeat someone, but then again he is a part of the Akatsuki. I could tell that his partners were getting restless and I must say so was I. That's when I saw Hikari drop her guard.

"I'm tired of dancing Sharkboy, do you want to forget it and go?"

"What kind of a shinobi are you running away from a fight?"

"A smart one, if we keep going at this we'll be fighting each other all day either that or you'd end up dead. I already have enough blood on my hands; I'd rather not add yours."

"You Bitch…" He growled and looked as though he was going to attack again, but his buddy with the strange eyes stepped in.

"Kisame, there is no point to this battle. We've gotten what we came here for. Let's go."

"Hmph. You're lucky this time, but I swear, the next time I see you I'll cut you to ribbons."

"Right, not before I slice you up, serve you on a steaming bowl of rice with a touch of wasabi and maybe some ginger on the side," She retorted smirking. The man only glared and followed his two partners out the hole that I made earlier when I fought…Itachi, at least I think that's what his name is. I turned and also followed the three Akatsuki members, but looked back at Hikari one more time, before exiting with them.

* * *

What word would best describe how I felt when I saw Deidara leave with the members of the Akatsuki? I think "hysterical" would be the best choice, not in the funny-haha way, but in the mad-crazy way. I had a huge maniacal grin plastered on my face and I could feel tears streaming down my cheeks. There's no way this is happening. No way. Deidara's gone.

"_**My, my, what's with the waterworks?"**_

"_With all due respect, I'd rather not hear from you right now, Jashin-sama."_

"_**Did that child friend of yours finally leave?"**_

"_I said I don't want to hear it!" _I yelled in my mind.

"_**He was going to die and leave you behind eventually. I really don't see why you're so upset."**_

"_I'm sorry, but I wasn't expecting him to leave like this, a bit out of the blue, while he was still young," _I thought, with a bit of sarcasm in my thoughts. _"Even though it has been eleven years since I woke up back here on Earth, I feel like I've lost everything. I have nothing left here…" _As embarrassing as it was, I'll admit that I started to sob. I swear I could hear Jashin-sama sigh.

"_**There's absolutely no point crying and lying around feeling sorry for yourself, so get your act together."**_

That got me to stop sobbing out of disbelief. _"Are you actually trying to comfort me?"_

"_**You're not going to find my follower if you sit around and cry all day. Hurry it up, it's been eleven years already."**_

My eyebrow twitched. _"Of course, you're bloody follower who is so fucking great. I still don't understand why I need to find him…"_

Jashin-sama decided to ignore my last statement._**"Sitting around and crying isn't going to change your situation. If you find my follower, then you'll have someone to be with."**_

"_I highly doubt I'd want to spend forever with that guy if he's anything like you…."_

"_**Hikaru, you're too flattering. Oh, and you need to start sacrificing more. I'm not getting as much as I'd like."**_

"_Hey, I'm not going to go out and kill just anybody. I may be immortal but I still have a sense of….righteousness." _

"_**That may be true, but what makes something right and what makes something wrong?"**_

"_Ah….eto…..shouldn't you know? You're the one that created good and bad."_ I finally decided to leave the now ruined building and head back to the town which was a few miles away. I'm surprised none of the townspeople heard the explosion.

With the sunset behind me and the empty dirt road ahead, I began making my way to the town. I heard nothing but my feet leaving a trail of footprints behind.

* * *

Fucking bastard, I can't believe he's dragging me around so he can find the fucking suitcase he got stolen. How the hell did he even get it stolen in the first place? We walked in silence on the empty dirt road; we heard nothing but our feet leaving a trail of footprints behind us. After asking around, we had a tip of that the mother fucker that stole Kakuzu's money was in the town ahead, Yaese Town.

Upon entering the town, we decided to check out the bar first. Opening the door we were immediately greeted by the smell of cigarettes and alcohol. A few tables were set up, one table in the corner was surrounded by people, the people seated look like they're playing a game of poker. On the other side of the fucking room, was a pool table and 5 men were playing a game and a few whores were watching. A few people were seated at the bar itself, on the end was a hooded figure in a black cloak, who seemed to be watching the game taking place at the pool table.

I don't know why, but Kakuzu decided to go up to the guy in the hood first. Maybe it was the mother fucker who took his f-ing suitcase, wearing a lame disguise. "Hey, have you seen anyone with a silver suitcase around here?"

* * *

I entered the bar and was overwhelmed by the scent of cigarettes and alcohol. I kept the hood of my black cloak on, so I wouldn't attract any attention. All I wanted was some sake and continue on my journey, to where I do not know. Believe it or not, I'd rather not have some drunken ninja trying to hit on me.

I looked around the bar, tables were set up here and there. In one corner, there was a bunch of people surrounding a table with people playing a game of poker. I silver glint caught my eye and I noticed that one man had a silver suitcase, probably full of money. Maybe I should…relieve him from carrying around that suitcase after I have a drink…On the other side of the room, people were playing billards and so I decided to take a seat at the end of the bar, order some sake, and observe their game. Hmmm…maybe I'll travel to Konoha. I heard they have great hot springs there…

My head jerked from the pool table to the door, when I heard the door open. There in the doorway stood two figures wearing black cloaks with clouds on them. Akatsuki. No one else seemed disturbed by their presence, they were either too busy playing poker or pool to care or they were used to criminals walking into this bar. I guessing it was a mixture of both. One man had white hair and pink-purple eyes…just like mine and the other wore a mask and all you could see on his face was his eyes…green and red….it can't be. It couldn't be him. It's been 68 years, there's no way he still be moving around at his age…right?

The two members walked up to me and the one with the mask asked, "Hey, have you seen anyone with a silver suitcase around here?" My eyes grew wide, his voice…sounds so young and just like his, it can't be. Is it really…?

"Kakuzu, I don't this fucking bastard know shit. Can't we go back to base?" Kakuzu. Kakuzu. Kakuzu. This man that stands before me now is the same man who betrayed me all those years ago…

_68 years ago inside the Katamiya Main House, I was in the kitchen, fixing tea. It had rained last night, leaving behind a dark grey color all across the sky. The sound of rain falling to the ground outside seemed to echo through the house. I was home alone, except for my mother, who was upstairs, sick in bed. Rather than having a servant bring tea up to my stepmother, I decided to do the task myself. _

_Placing the tea set on a wooden tray, I picked up the tray and made my way upstairs. Underneath me the wood creaked every few steps and the wood felt surprisingly cold under my bare feet, but I paid no mind. I walked down the hall and stopped at my stepmother and father's master bedroom. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. "Oka-sama? Oka-sama, I brought you some tea. I'm coming in now," I called through the door. _

_Balancing the tray in my left hand, I opened the door with my right. The tray lost its balance and went crashing down onto the floor. I didn't move a muscle for in front of me my stepmother lied crumpled on the bed, a pillow or two lied on the floor and the white sheet were drenched in blood. At the balcony, a lone figure stood a bloody weapon in hand. Our eyes met, their eyes were green and red and I knew exactly who it was. My fiancé. _

"_Kakuzu, what have you done?"_

"Did you hear me? Have you seen anyone with a silver suitcase around here?" Kakuzu asked again, yet I simply stared at him wildly. This…this is impossible, but then again I **did** come back from the dead and was made immortal so I really shouldn't be saying anything.

"Ah!" I yelled. One of Kakuzu's hands detached from his arm and held me up against the wall by the throat. With a loud THUD, my back made contact with the stone wall and everyone else at the bar turned their heads towards us. I noticed that the hood of my cloak had slid off revealing my face and Kakuzu immediately let go, befuddling me. How can he tell who I am? Thanks to Jashin-sama, my appearance is totally different from when it was 68 years ago.

"It looks like you're not the one I'm looking for. Alright Hidan, we'll do this your way."

"Finally," this coming from his partner. On his face was a smile so…psycho, as he took his 3 bladed scythe off from his back, the start of his massacre of every person in the bar…in the name of Jashin.

Not even 10 minutes later, only one man was left standing. He held a silver suitcase. The scent of copper rose into my nostrils. It was repulsive.

_**This is a form of worship.**_

_So this guy really is your follower?_

_**Of course, look he's even painting my symbol on the ground with his own blood.**_ I looked at the floor, beneath the Jashinist, to indeed see my Lord's symbol upon the ground. The man's body was now black and white and looked as though he was a skeleton.

"Wait please!" Pleaded the man holding the suitcase. "I'll return all of your money! Don't kill me! I don't want to die! I don't want to die! Just take the suitcase."

Hidan laughed maniacally, swinging so that his scythe scratched the pleading man. He licked up the blood off the end of the scythe and his smile grew even wider. He pulled out a sharp metal pole. "'Thou shalt not steal' you worthless piece of shit. That was about 40 million yen (about $400,000) you stole. Let me pass Jashin's judgement." And surprisingly, if he wasn't crazy enough, he stabbed himself in the chest. As he did so, the man in front of him fell over, dropping the suitcase, his hands on his heart. Surely enough he died. "Ah, that feels so fucking good." Hidan stood in the circle, savoring ever feeling of pain he felt in his body. Kakuzu walked over to the suitcase, picked it up, placed it on the table, opening the case and beginning to count the money inside. I sat against the wall a bit in a daze, surely they haven't forgotten about me right?

"Hidan, you missed one."

|/*\|

I have given up trying to understand the strange ways of Destiny.

Every time I think he's on my side,

He screws me over.

Bastard.


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: All right, when I started this story, I was unsure if I should make it a HidaxOC or a KakuzuxOC. I've decided that it'll be a KakuzuxOC. So cha. Please Review.**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

I made a mistake.

I knew it was wrong, but I did it anyways.

|/*\|

The man named Hidan turned his head towards me. He rested his metal pole on the ground and took his scythe in his hands again. I took out my own metal pole and soon enough heard the clash of metal. "Oh good, you can fight back. Maybe you'll make this more fun fucking bitch." The scythe moved up and attacked me again. I dodged to the side, avoiding it barely.

_**What's the point of dodging attacks when you're immortal? Besides that you have regeneration powers right? Don't they run in the Katamiya family blood?**_

_Yeah, but that doesn't mean I'm invincible to feeling pain, Jashin-sama. _I replied in my mind, a bit pissed off. I ducked to avoid the blade, but it nicked me on the cheek. Crap.

_**Uh oh, looks like you screwed up.**_

_Don't start with me! You're the one distracting me. _I watched Hidan lick my blood of the tip of the blade. I rush forward in attempt to get him outside of the Jashin symbol, but was too late. I collapse to the floor.

"Ah…" Pleasure surged up my leg, to which I stabbed. The girl with white hair collapsed to the ground.

"Bastard…" I heard her mutter. To my surprise she got up and tried to make her way towards me. I push my metal pole deeper into my right leg. The girl stumbles, her face now distorted. No fun. I want to hear her scream. I lie on the floor, since stand at the moment with my self-inflicted wound. Withdrawing the pole from my leg, I stab my left shoulder.

" ARGGGHHHH!" She screams out; her body twists on the floor in apparent pain.

I want her to beg for mercy. I stab myself in the stomach.

"AACCCKKKK!" She coughs up blood. After she stops coughing, blood trickles down the side of her mouth.

I want to feel more of her pain.

I hear her gasp; I swear my fucking eyes rolled back with the surge of pain that rippled throughout my body. More of her blood slowly spreads on the floor. She makes no noise. Her body is still.

"Jashin-sama, accept this sacrifice…"

* * *

I can't see. I feel like shit. Oh my Jashin…please don't tell that guy is….

**The follower you've been searching the last…eleven years for?**

That's him, isn't it?

**Time to wake up Hikaru….**

The light of the bar blinded my eyes. The wound in my heart seemed to heal, along with the wound in my right thigh. My left shoulder and stomach hasn't healed up yet, but I think I'll be fine without it.

"Hidan will you hurry up?"

"Hey fucking bastard. I just killed every single person in this bar. There's no fucking way I'm leaving without finishing my prayers damn it!"

I sat up rubbing the back of my neck. "So you really are a follower of Jashin?"

"Hn?" Both Kakuzu and Hidan turned their heads.

"What the hell! You fucking bitch! You should be dead!" Hidan yelled at the girl sitting up on the floor.

"Hidan, can't you kill a little girl? Is it really that hard?"

"Don't give me that shit you bastard! You watched me stab myself in the fucking heart! She should be dead right now!"

"But she isn't…"

Hidan began to swing his scythe angrily. "If you're not satisfied with the way I do things, why don't you take care of it yourself, you lazy ass?" I sigh and shoot out one of my hands around the girl's neck, breaking it in half in an instant. She didn't even have the chance to move.

"There. Now hurry up so we can get out of here. We're already late as it is. Leader has been waiting enough as it is."

"Oh, and that's my fault? If you didn't stop so often to kill and collect your fucking bounty, we could have been at the base ages ago!"

"You realize that some of the money I collect goes towards the organization right? How does your praying help anyone else?" I asked calmly, and as I predicted Hidan blew up.

"You fucking bastard! Shut up and just let me finish praying!"

"I swear I'm going to kill you…."`

* * *

"Jashin, how many times am I going to get killed today? I think three times is much too much." Both of our heads shot back to the girl, who was sitting up yet again.

"What the fucking hell Kakuzu! Didn't you snap her f-ing neck in half?" Hidan yelled at me. I stared at the girl in silence. Not only was she still alive, but her broken neck seems to have healed already. How did it heal so fast? Is it a kekkei genkai?

"Hey, you're a Jashinist aren't you?" She asked pointing to Hidan.

"So? What about it? Are you thinking about converting?" I swear Hidan's an idiot. There's no way anyone would convert to his messed up religion, let alone some teenage kid.

She shook her head, holding up the pendant around her neck, it was the sign of Jashin. "I'm already Jashinist. You're the person I've been searching for."

"Wait a fucking minute….you're the subordinate I've been searching for the last 11 years?"

"You've been searching for me?"

"Yeah, how long have you been searching for me?"

"I've been looking for 11 years too."

"Let me get this straight…" I started. "The two of you have been looking for each other for 11 years and haven't found each other till today?"

"That seems to be the case," the girl answered for the two of them.

"You both must be really stupid. How the hell do two crazy people, following the same spiritual being, searching for each other for eleven years and somehow **not **end up finding each other?"

"Shut up you bastard!" Both Hidan and the girl said in unison. Jashin must be the dumbest god to ever exist if he chose these to idiots as his chosen followers.

"**Hidan, Kakuzu, what the hell is taking you so long to report back to base?" **said a voice coming from inside my mind.

"Leader-sama, we just collected my bounty. We'll be back by tomorrow…"

"What the fuck! Can't we rest for a bit Kakuzu?"

"Can't you shut up?"

"**Kakuzu, what's taking so long? What's holding you up?"**

"We had to chase down a thief. Hidan still needs to do his bloody prayers, after he slaughtered everyone at this bar, save for one person."

"**Hn? Since when was Hidan merciful?"**

"Like hell I would keep some bitch alive! I can't fucking sacrifice her because she won't fucking die!"

"**Really?"**

"I stabbed myself in the heart using my justsu, Kakuzu broke her fucking neck and she's still moving around like it's nothing!"

"**Kakuzu,** **bring her to me."**

"_…_Hai, Leader-sama."

* * *

"So…this is your base? I didn't know it was hidden in a hot spring bath house."

"No…" Kakuzu said through clenched teeth. "It's an ordinary hot spring bath house."

"Someone stab me. Are you fucking serious Kakuzu? You're going to let us rest over night at a bath house? You know that costs money right?" Hidan asked in shock.

"I realize that. We're here because you stink."

"Teme! Don't treat me like a fucking dog."

"You sure act like one."

"Shut up!" I snorted at Hidan's oh so witty come back.

The three of us walked into the bath house and booked one room. Even though, according to Hidan, Kakuzu was being extremely generous, I couldn't help but think of him as a cheapskate. "Man, Kakuzu, why can't we at least get two rooms? This is hardly enough room to perform rituals…"

"Under no circumstances are you two performing any of your bloody 'rituals' in this room."

"Hey, don't lump me together with this idiot!" I pointed at Hidan.

"Is that any way to speak to your superior, bitch!" He shouted at me.

"Don't even start! For one, who made you my superior? And two, I have a fucking name!"

Hidan's eye twitched. "One, **Jashin** made it so that you are **my** subordinate. Two, you never told us your fucking name."

I opened my mouth, but closed it again. He had a point. "Alright, my name is Hikari."

Kakuzu's eyes flashed. "Hikari?"

"Yeah," was all I said, and he left it at that. Did he know? Of course not, he couldn't possibly know it was me. I mean I look totally different now; I act totally different now. I no longer have that aristocratic air to me anymore.

We ordered for some food to be brought up to our room. It took me around 15 minutes to finish eating, before I went down to the baths. There weren't a lot of guests checked into the bath house today, so when I got to springs, they were empty. Making sure that my towel was right next to the water, I slid into the bath and practically melted. Ah, it felt so calm and relaxing. I closed my eyes and allowed my thoughts to drift.

Hmmm…I wonder if Kakuzu ever heard that I committed suicide. If he did, I don't think he really cared; after all he got what he was after. Even though I Kakuzu's a complete asshole, I still feel pretty sad. I don't care if our love affair was real to Kakuzu, because it was real to me.

My thoughts were disrupted by the sound of someone else entering the water. I open my eyes to see Hidan now sitting in the hot springs with me. I was about to close my eyes and return to my thoughts, until I shoot them back open again. "Hidan what the hell are you doing here!"

"I'm taking a fucking bath dumb shit. What the hell does it look like I'm doing?"

"This is the women's baths!"

"Read the fucking sign again, stupid bitch. It's the unisex bath."

"Wha-what?" I turned my head to the door, squinting my eyes to read the sign…it indeed was a bath for both genders.

"And Kakuzu calls me stupid, at least I can read."

My face turned red from embarrassment. "Well if you can read, why did you decide to come to the unisex bath?"

"I can ask you the same fucking question. Did you come in hopes of seeing a man's…"

"NO! I think it's obvious that I simply didn't see the sign." I glared at him.

"You'll have to pray twice as fucking much, since you've been such a bad girl."

"Did you even hear what I said!" Growling, I turned on my spot to get out of the springs and go to the woman's bath, but there was one little problem. "Hidan, where is my towel?"

"What the hell makes you think I took it?"

"Who else is there!"

"Since you don't have a towel, I guess you'll just have to leave without one."

"Stop ignoring me!"

"Stop shouting!"

"That has nothing to do with anything! Just give me back my towel!"

"Suck it!"

"Ha! You wish!"

"Will you two shut up?" A deadly voice came from the entrance to the baths. Both Hidan and I paled, turning to see Kakuzu standing at the door. He wore a towel over his lower half, his muscular chest was exposed, yet he still wore a mask. "I can hear you guys from the men's bath. Hidan give it back." Hidan threw my towel back at me. I wrapped myself in it while I was still in the water and left the bath.

"I can see through your towel!" Hidan shouted after me. I turned on the spot and flicked him off, before stomping away.

* * *

I watched the kunochi stomp off angrily; firmly wrapping the towel around her body….something seems off though, like I knew her from somewhere. Hidan and I were walking up back to our room. When we opened the door, three futon mats were placed on the floor. Hikari sat on the mat on the left, wearing a yukata, brushing her hair.

"There you are Hikari, enjoy your bath?" Hidan asked, grinning.

I could see her eye twitch, but she said nothing. She turned her head the other way, so she wasn't facing Hidan. Hidan settled down on the futon on the far right. "Well I'm fucking beat, night…."

"Wait a minute…" I grumbled. "I am **not** sleeping in the middle."

"No fucking way am I moving." Hidan rolled on his side, facing the wall. I looked over to the girl, who looked back at me then quickly looked away, before crawling onto the futon in the middle. I turn off the rooms light and lay down in the futon. My exhausted eyes find sleep.

_I walked onto the Katamiya Compound, lead by two guards. Today I was to begin my job of guarding the eldest daughter of the noble Katamiyas, Katamiya Hikaru. However, I was here for one thing and one thing only, the Katamiya Family ring. I honestly don't know what so special about the ring but, my employer paid a good deal of money for me to retrieve it._

_The two guards lead me into what looked to be a living room. There sat the head of the Katamiya family, Katamiya Yazu and standing next to him was a girl, maybe in her late teens, with dark brown hair and almost black eyes. She wore an elegant white kimono with a red flower print. _

"_Oh good Kakuzu, you're hear. I was just telling my daughter about you. Hikaru, this is Kakuzu, your new bodyguard." Yazu spoke._

"_Excuse me for saying this father, but I really don't think that a bodyguard is necessary." I could practically hear the poison dripping from her voice._

"_Enough Hikari. I am worried for your well being, just last week your own mother and sister were attacked by foreign ninja. Your mother is dead Hikaru. I don't want Kakuzu is now your body guard. End of discussion." Hikaru looked as though she had something else to stay, but instead she stormed out of the room. I looked at her father, he nodded and I followed her out the door. _

_She continued walking until we reached the courtyard and there she stopped, under a Sakura tree. Her fists were clenched, her back facing me. I kneeled down. "Katamiya-sama, I swear on my honor that I'll do my best to protect you from harm."_

"_Get up. I don't need you. Leave."_

"_Katamiya-sama…" I looked up, she had turned around and was now looking down at me._

"_I don't need you. I've been trained in ninjutsu..." She said with difficulty. I could tell that she was going to start crying any minute now, after all this girl had just lost her mother and could do nothing at all to stop it. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I don't need you…" She sniffed and wiped her eyes. _

_I stood up and looked down at her. I heard her gasp as I as suddenly wrapped my arms around her. I don't know what made me do it, but that seemed like the right thing to do at the time. I whispered in her ear. "Don't lie to yourself. It's obvious you need me and I'll do everything it takes to protect you."_

_**You lied to her that day.**_

_No._

_**She put all her trust in you that day.**_

_No._

_**Unknowingly she gave all her love to you that day.**_

_No._

_**And what do you do? You betrayed her.**_

_Stop._

_**You caused her the greatest pain of all.**_

_Stop it._

_**You shattered her heart.**_

I open my eyes. Streams of sunlight peeked through the wooden blinds. I could hear birds singing their morning songs. In my arms I held the girl, Hikari, close to my body. She was still fast asleep and hasn't noticed the position she was in yet. I slowly unwrap my arms, releasing her and sat up. I bury my face into my hands. Hikaru, if God gave me one wish, I would take back all the pain I must have caused you.

|/*\|

I want to tell you I'm sorry, but I know it won't make up for all the pain I caused you.


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Alright, if you all don't know, I put progress reports on when the new chapters will come on every week, so check out my profile. Subscribe and review to boost my writing speed and capabilities. **

* * *

**Chapter 5**

You are the imprinted memory in my brain.

No matter how far I push you to the back of my mind,

You somehow make your way to the front.

|/*\|

I yawned widely as I sat in front of the desk. It had taken us a whole day to get to their base, since Kakuzu spotted a person with a reasonable bounty on their head along the way. Because of that little detour, it took much longer than it would have. It could have gone faster if Hidan didn't stop took make two sacrifices. I mean seriously, do you really need to make **two **sacrifices in one day? I mean I don't even make a sacrifice once a day; I usually make one every two weeks. But then again, this is probably why Hidan is the "Jesus" figure of this religion. Ah well.

Anyways, at the desk sat the leader of the Akatsuki. He listened silently as Kakuzu described his, and Hidan's, encounter with me. I tried to make out the leader's face, but it was hidden in what seemed to be in a permanent shadow, weird. Once Kakuzu finished his account, the leader sat silent for a moment before saying, "Hidan, kill her for me…"

"WHAT!" I yelled, now wide awake. "I've been killed like…3 times in the last 72 hours!"

"I want to see this for myself." The leader stated calmly.

"You have these two to tell you if it's true or not…ACK" I felt a kunai strike me in the back of my neck and I crumpled to the ground.

Once again I was shrouded in darkness. I could feel anime tears falling down my face. "_Jashin…how many times must this happen?"_ I whined, but instead of him answering me, he decided to stay silent. I could hear him laughing though…bastard.

Light flooded my eyes as I sat up on the ground, rubbing the back of my neck. "Even though I'm immortal, it still fucking hurts…" I growled.

I looked up and the shadowy man seemed to be in deep thought. After what was an extremely long minute, he spoke. "Hidan, Kakuzu, she'll be working with you two." Then to me he said. "You won't be an actual member, but if you do betray us, I'll make you go through so much pain…so much suffering…that you'd wish that you weren't immortal, understood?"

I nodded but thought to myself sarcastically. "_I never really wanted to be immortal in the first place."_

"Oi, are you listening?" Kakuzu grabbed my wrist and started leading me out of the room. I tried to ignore my heart rate, which rose slightly when Kakuzu touched me. He never really wanted me and I have to accept it.

"Where are we going?"

"I'm showing you to our room."

"Ah….wait, what!"

"Our fucking room. You're gonna have to sleep with me and Kakuzu, since we're in charge of you," Hidan answered, smirking. Kakuzu stopped in front of a door, opened it to reveal the room inside. It was a fairly large room, split into two halves. One side had one bed, with messy bed sheets, red stains on the floor, and a wooden desk, very cluttered with paper, pens, and what not. On the other side the room was noticeably cleaner. The bed was neatly made, a waste basket stood next to another wooden desk. Upon this wooden desk was a small cup to hold pencils and pens. The papers on top of the desk were stacked neatly on top of each other. It was pretty obvious to guess which side of the room belonged to whom.

However, the more I looked at the room, the more I saw the rising problem. "Where exactly am I going to sleep?"

Kakuzu noticed the problem as well, there were only two beds and there were 3 people. "You'll just have to share with one of us then."

"I pick Hidan," I said flat out.

"What's this?" Hidan asked grinning widely. "Why were you so quick to choose me? Hm?"

My face grew red. "It's not what you think! It's just that….Kakuzu-san…already killed me twice. I'd rather not sleep with someone who's killed me more than once," I said quickly, glad that I was able to come up with an excuse. Truth be told, I didn't want to get close to Kakuzu at all. Not after what he did. I don't ever want to get close to him again, physically or emotionally.

"How do you even know that it was Kakuzu who killed you in Leader's fucking office?" Hidan asked, eyebrow slightly raised.

My eyes widened. How did I know? I was struck in the back of the neck after all. I wasn't able to see who killed me. "Er….Lucky guess?" I run and jump onto the bed. "Ah…." I sighed as I cuddled with a pillow.

"Fucking bitch! What the hell do you think you're doing!"

"Sleeping…"

"Like hell you are! Move over bitch!" Hidan kicked me off the bed and got on it himself. I got up, threw the pillow at Hidan, who ducked, allowing the pillow to soar across the room and hit Kakuzu in the face. My jaw drops, while Hidan's howling with laughter. "Looks like she got you good Kakuzu!"

I bow immediately. "I'm so sorry!" Luckily all I got was a death glare.

Finally, we all settled down to sleep. Kakuzu slept on his bed, while Hidan and I slept in the other. Hidan had his side and I had mine. Simple right? Wrong. Lucky for me, Hidan is the type to move around a lot in his sleep. Throughout the night, his arm's in my face or he'd try to hold me in his arms or even worse, his whole body rolled on top of me. Accepting the fact that Hidan was not going to stay still, I shoved him off of me, grabbed a pillow and slept on the floor. Better than trying to get in bed with Kakuzu…too many unwanted memories would probably come back…not to mention he'd probably kill me once he feels my weight on his bed.

* * *

My eyes cracked open and my throat was dry. I sat up in bed and grabbed the water bottle that I conveniently put on the drawer, next to my bed. I glance over at Hidan and can make out his sprawled out figure on the bed. Strange. Where's the girl? I get up and out of bed, only to stumble. I look down and there I found Hikari. Snuggling with a pillow, she had her bare legs curled up to her chest, trying to keep warm. Stupid girl. She'll get a cold or something, then we'd have to get medicine, and that will cost money. I debated on what to do. If I put her back with Hidan, he'll probably end up pushing her off the bed. I can't leave her on the floor…I picked her up and placed her on one side of my bed, getting back into bed myself. I turn my back on her. Troublesome girl.

_Hikaru sat on a stone bench, under a sakura tree. The petals of the cherry blossoms caught in the wind and were carried all over the Katamiya compound. The wind played with Hikaru's rich brown hair. Her long slender fingers fiddled with the edges of book she was suppose to be reading, but instead she watched the blossoms fall from the tree. I stood a bit behind her; she probably didn't notice I was there. She seemed to be in deep thought._

"_Kakuzu-san, what do think of cherry blossoms?" Her voice rang out to me._

_Startled, I answer, "I'm not sure. They're beautiful to look at I suppose."_

"_I think they're depressing," She said blandly._

_I frowned. "Why is that?"_

"_The flowers that fall from the tree will surely wilt and die. I find it terrible." She gazed out into the courtyard._

_I reached out to her. "Hika-, I mean, Katamiya-sama…"_

_She held up a hand to silence me. "There's no need to call me Katamiya-sama. You're not a servant; you're my body guard. You may call me Hikaru if you'd like."_

_I blinked before continuing. "Hi-Hikaru, the wilting flowers don't really matter all that much…."_

"_Yes they do. All flowers are living things and all living things matter. They also wilt and die, because it is their fate," she said softly. Although she had a good point, she still seemed a bit crazy to me. Who cares about flowers? Maybe she simply depressed with the death of her mother and sister? Who knows? Women are strange beings. In order to make her feel better, I moved so that I was kneeling in front of her. I took her hands in mind and looked her in the eyes. "If you wish it, I promise to find you a flower that will never wilt or die."_

_**You never did get her that flower.**_

_Who are you?_

_**You only had one thing on your mind.**_

_Tell me, who are you?_

_**You only wanted to use her…**_

_Why are you doing this?_

…_**to get the ring.**_

_Why are you replaying my memories of…_

"…Hikaru," I whispered. My eyes opened lazily to see that I was once again holding Hikari. I let go and turn my back to her again. Why is this happening? Why now, after this girl Hikari shows up, am I dreaming about Katamiya Hikaru? Is Hikari connected to Hikaru in any way? I rolled over to look at the girl sleeping beside me. Her face was calm and serene, just as Hikaru's…but then again that doesn't really mean anything…

My thoughts trailed off as Hikari moved, in her sleep, closer to me. A strange feeling rises in my get, an urge to simply hold her, to protect her. But why?

|/*\|

But why now do you show up after all these years?


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry if it took a while, but I be glad I decided to type this new chapter tonight, instead of doing my English homework, lol. Hope you all had a great Halloween and that you'll enjoy my new chapter. Please Review and visit my profile for update news.**

**God, sometimes the document uploader screws up my documents. Sorry if it bothers you.**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

No matter what you do,

No matter what you wear or change your appearance,

No matter how much you may lie,

It'll always come out.

|/*\|

I opened my eyes and sat up to stretch, but quickly snuggled back under the covers again, when I felt the cold air touch my skin. Then I shot my eyes open. Since when….how did I get into bed? Didn't I move to the floor because of Hidan? I looked across the room to see Hidan sprawled on his bed snoring. I looked to my side to see that Kakuzu wasn't sleeping beside me. I looked at the far end of the room at the bathroom door, which was closed. I surmised that Kakuzu was already awake. Did he move me last night?

Just then the bathroom door opened and Kakuzu walked out wearing nothing but the towel around his waist. In one hand he dried his brown hair with a towel and he looked up with his green eyes to see me staring. He had been wearing his mask all this time and I admit that I have forgotten what his face looked like over the years. But as I see it now, I know for sure it hadn't changed a bit. He still had his stitches and no wrinkles disrupted his smooth face.

"Hey!" I shout as he threw a towel at my face.

"You know that it's rude to stare?" I could feel my face go red. I'm so stupid; I've already seen Kakuzu's body before, why am I getting so embarrassed about it now? I mentally slap myself. I can't fall for him a second time, it'll only end like it did the first time. I groaned and fell back on the bed, the towel still covering my face.

I felt the towel being removed from my face. Opening my eyes, I see Kakuzu looming over me. Surpised I sit up sharply, hitting my head against his. "OW!"

Rubbing his nose, Kakuzu growled. "Stupid girl, are you sick or something?"

"N-n-no…I-I just…er…" I noticed that Kakuzu was now fully dressed and that his face was masked once again. Kakuzu took a seat at his desk and began punching numbers into a calculator, while scribbling down notes in his notebook. I began to fiddle with my fingers. Should I tell him…or should I not? Gah! Why is this so hard?

We sat in silence before he asked, "Aren't you going to go eat or something?"

Surprised I stuttered, "Oh…y-yeah. I-I'll just go…"I leap off of his bed and ran out into the hall, not before tripping over my own feet. I turned left, with a face as red as a tomato, and began to walk through the quiet hall, to what was the kitchen. There I saw a table, with three people. One had blonde hair and was eating a bowl of cereal, another sat reading the paper, covering his face, and the third was….oh shit.

"HEY!" The blue man yelled. "You're that girl from before!"

"Ta da…" I said unenthusiastically.

"Hikari!" Deidara jumped from his seat, ran all the way over to me, and swung me around in the air.

I laughed. "I missed you too Dei!" Setting me down, Deidara then asked, "What are you doing here, un?"

"Oh, well I ran into a couple of members and they brought me back here."

"So does that mean you're joining?

"I really don't know. I mean I'll have to the Leader about it won't I? He's the one that wanted me anyways…I think it was meant to be though."

"What are you talking about, un?"

"Well, one of the members is a Jashinist too."

"You're kidding. You're the bloody subordinate he's been talking about finding?" The shark man asked.

"I suppose…Holy SHIT!" I yelled as the shark man swung his sword at me. "Why are you swinging that thing at me for?"

"I told you the next time I'd see you, I'd cut you to ribbons."

"There's no point in trying since I'm IMMORTAL. I can't die, so stop wasting your time."

"Kisame, put your blade down. It isn't a wise idea to fight a possibly future member, against Leader's wishes," said the man behind the paper.

Kisame kind of glared at me, before going back to his bagel that had slices of fresh salmon on top. "Hey are you a cannibal Kisame?"

"What makes you think that?" He grumbled.

"Well you're a shark right? And sharks are a kind of fish and salmon are also fish….so would that make sharks cannibalistic?" I wondered aloud to myself.

"YOU LITTLE…."

"KYA! Protect me Deidara!" I ran behind my dear friend.

"Oi, don't hide behind me! Just take the hit, you're immortal aren't you, un!"

"Yeah, but it still hurts! I wasn't gifted with zero pain tolerance!"

"Stop hiding you bloody bitch!"

"Kisame," the man from behind the paper warned again.

"Damn, why the hell do all you guys have to so fucking loud?" We all turned heads to see Hidan walking into the kitchen. I clutched my nose to prevent a nosebleed. His chest was so well built and his hair was wild and all over the place, in an astonishingly sexy way. He looks at me and I blink back. "Your nose is bleeding." He pointed out to me, before sitting at the table. I could feel the stress marks on my forehead. "Hey Bitch, why don't you get me some breakfast?"

"No way! Get your own breakfast!" I yell, while I wiped away the blood from my nose.

"Yeah, but you haven't eaten either. Can't you just get me whatever the hell you're getting?"

Grumbling because Hidan had a good point, I grabbed two bowls, two spoons, and milk and set them on the table. The bowl of cereal was already on the table. As I placed Hidan's bowl in front of him, he grabbed my arm and pulled me down to kiss me on the cheek. "Thanks Bitch." A whoosh of air flew by and the next thing I knew, Deidara was in between me and Hidan. "What the hell do you think you're doing, un!" Deidara yelled at Hidan.

"Well, she's a follower of my religion so…"

"Just because she has the same religion as you doesn't mean you can go around kissing her, un!" Deidara cut him off angrily.

"What the hell are you? Her bloody boyfriend or something?"

"NO!" Deidara and I said at the same time.

Hidan poured cereal into his bowl, followed by milk. "Will you two quiet the fuck down? Holy fuck, there's no reason to make such a big fucking deal about it." Deidara and I sat down in our seats. Hidan continued, "But since sweet Hikaru is a free agent, then I think I have the fucking right to flirt with her all I want…"

Deidara banged his fists on the table and stood up. "Back off you perv! You're way too old for her!"

"Don't worry, I'll be sure to use protection…"

"Hello? I'm sitting right here!" I said, with my mouth full of cereal. A sigh was heard and the man with the paper stood up from his seat, allowing his face to be seen. He was young, perhaps in his twenties. His eyes were almost as dark as night and his long hair even darker. Despite the lines under his eyes, he was quite handsome. "This is pointless, I'm going to my room" He announced, leaving the room.

After watching him leave, silence fell upon Deidara, Kisame, Hidan and me. Until Kisame spoke to me again, "Hey, I'm still expecting a rematch."

"There's no point. I'm IMMORTAL. Really how many times must I repeat myself?"

"Actually I think fighting Kisame would be a good idea." A new voice entered the room. I turned in my chair to see a shadowy figure.

"Leader-sama," Kisame acknowledged the figure. The figure looked down at me with his strange eyes. I felt lost in his gaze. "I want to see your skills. Your match against Kisame will take place after breakfast."

After changing into a tight fitting tank top and some rather short shorts, I walked out onto the river, where Kisame and I were to have our match and noticed a BIG problem. "YOU'RE KIDDING ME RIGHT?" I yell back to shore. "HE'S FROM THE VILLAGE OF THE MIST! WATER JUTSUS ARE HIS SPECIALTIY!"

"WELL YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT WON'T YOU? NOW BEGIN!" Leader shouted back to me.

"Hikari," Kisame called, drawing my attention to him. "I promise you, this time you'll definitely be shred to ribbons."

"I guess I won't hold back then," was all I said before turning around and sprinting for land.

* * *

"Ha! What the hell does this bitch think she's doing?" I asked Deidara as I watched Hikari run away from Kisame and towards the shore.

"Stop talking about her like that, un" He glared up at me. "She knows what she's doing, un." I turn my attention back to the fight, to see that Hikaru successfully made it to land. She made a few hand signs, and with a poof, 5 clones of Hikari were fighting Kisame. As they distracted Kisame, Hikari stabbed herself in both her hands and drew Jashin's symbol in the dirt. Putting her hands together, she began to pray. While she prayed, her skin turned black and white and I could feel her chakra sharply rise. Kisame finished of the last clone and came charging at Hikari, who stopped Kisame's huge ass sword, with nothing but a kunai.

"See? I told you so," Deidara said with pride in his voice. "When Hikari draws the symbol, and prays to Jashin, she receives insane strength and speed. It lasts as long as the symbol on the ground is intact, un"

"I know that!" I yelled, hitting him on the back of the head. But in truth, I didn['t know. The power Jashin gave me was different from the power he gave her. I felt a new presence behind me and turned to see Kakuzu. "Hey, come to watch the bitch too huh?" He responded with nothing but a grunt.

Thirty minutes later, after a lot of water, fire, and multiple kunai, shuriken, sword and scythe swings, both Kisame and Hikaru were still standing, still not ready to give in. I admit the bitch is pretty skilled, but if she wasn't immortal, the she'd be long dead by now. From what I remember, she was stabbed twice in the stomach, hit full on by Kisame's water shark torpedo thingy and practically had her arm torn off. Fuck, I don't think I've ever met anyone who fought as reckless as she does, hell even I don't fight that recklessly.

Leader thought it was enough since he called an end to the match and allowed Hikari to stay with the organization, even though she was unable to be admitted as a member. "Kakuzu," Leader said, "Take her in and see to her wounds."

I could see damn Kakuzu's mouth twitch underneath his mask. "What?"

"Now," Leader said with finality in his tone, before disappearing.

* * *

Kisame and Hikari walked up to us. Both looked pissed off. Kisame was probably pissed because he wasn't able to truly defeat his opponent and Hikari was probably pissed because she had to fight what she probably thought was a pointless battle.

Hidan stepped forward and swept Hikari off her feet. "What are you doing!" she shouted, holding on tight around his neck so that she wouldn't fall.

"Why, you looked tired. Can I not be a gentleman?"

Hikari laughed. "I haven't even known you that long and I know you're not a gentleman." The Deidara kid glared at Hidan and for some reason I felt a twinge of annoyance, seeing Hidan holding HIkaru, but I pushed it out of my mind.

"Hidan, put her down," I commanded. "I need to take her to get checked."

"Oh, it's really not necessary…" She started but drawled out, when she saw the expression in my eyes.

After escaping Hidan's clutches, and ignoring Deidara's rampage on Hidan, I finally got Hikari back to our room. "Sit on the bed." She obeyed. "Now take off your shirt."

"What!" She asked, her face turning red.

"You got stabbed in the stomach twice didn't you? Take it off."

"No!"

"If you don't I'll do it myself, off now." Her hands slowly pulled up her tank, revealing her pale stomach, but before it was pulled above her breasts, she stopped. That's when I noticed that her stomach had no signs of being stabbed into. In fact it was perfectly healed. There's only one blood line limit that has stunningly fast regenerating and healing abilities and that's the Katamiya Family. Katamiya.

"See? My stomachs fine, so can I go now?" She asked rather quickly, pulling her tank down.

She got up to leave the room, but stopped when I asked, "You're from the Katamiya family aren't you?"

|/*\|

No matter what you say or do,

Eventually, people will figure out the truth.


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: Gah, sorry everyone who read this chapter and got confused. I totally mixed up Hikari's name up. For clarifcation, Hikaru and Hikari are the same person. Hikaru, killed herself and came back to life, thanks to Jashin, and decided to change her name to Hikari. If you remember in chapter 1, she changed her name last minute so that her sister, Shizu, wouldn't know that it was really her, back from the dead. Thank you so much to Samxwasxhere for catching that mistake.**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

It can become confusing; trying to figure out what it is we truly want.

|/*\|

I lifted up my shirt high enough for him to see my stomach. If I had taken it off completely, he would have seen his locket I still wore. For a certain reason, which I wish to deny completely, I never take it off. He stared at my stomach for a while and I nervously spoke up. "See? My stomach's fine, so can I go now?" I said rather quickly, pulling my tank top down.

I got up to leave the room, but froze in place when I heard Kakuzu ask, "You're from the Katamiya family aren't you?"

"_Think stupid"_ I thought to myself. _"Stay calm and think stupid." _"I don't know what you're talking about. Who is the Katamiya family?"

"You have to know. Your body regenerates any part of your body that is physically damaged and you heal at an alarming rate. **Do not lie to me."**

"I don't see why it matters to you if I'm a Katamiya or not. Besides I can't even remember who my family is, I've lost my memory," I lied.

"You lost your memory," He repeated.

"That's right."

"Then how do you know your name."

"Well…" I paused for a second, but quickly said, "Deidara found me passed outside of Iwagakure and named me."

"So he named you Hikari?"

"Yeah, he found me when he was 8. He named me Hikari because my hair shimmers bright in the sunlight," I half-lied. It was true that he met me when he was 8, but I definitely made up the reason for my naming, but Kakuzu seemed to buy it, because he let me leave the room.

Wondering my way through the halls, I found my way back to the kitchen. Deidara and Hidan sat eating instant ramen, while Deidara talked to a man with red hair and brown eyes. He looked up when I came into the room. "Hikari! You did great today. I seriously thought Kisame had a chance of beating you, un."

"Gee, thanks Deidara for filling me with confidence by telling me that Shark-man could have beat me."

"If you weren't fucking immortal, then you would've been dead. You were stabbed twice in the fucking stomach and had several ligaments in your shoulder torn up, how the hell were you able to keep fighting? That injury in your fucking arm should've made that arm useless," Hidan pointed out.

"Blood line limit," was all I said, sitting down beside Hidan. I pointed my attention a very young looking man with red hair, "So who are you?"

"Ah, this is Sasori-danna," Deidara introduced him.

"Oh…wait a minute!" I said realizing something. "Weren't you a weird turtle thingy before?"

"You mean my puppet?" He corrected me, his voice emotionless.

"Er…yeah."

"Hikari, do you think that's art, un?" Deidara asked me.

"Uh…I don't know. I suppose it is since you kind of have to be creative, right?"

Sasori had a smirk on his face. "See?"

"Hikari! You're supposed to be on my side, un!"

"What are you talking about! I just answered the question!" I said.

"What do you consider art, un?" Deidara asked me another question.

I sighed. "I don't know, painting, drawing, sculpting…"

"See Sasori! She didn't even mention making puppets, un!"

"You idiot, you didn't even let her finish her sentence. Besides, she already said that she thinks my puppet is art, so that's all that matters. Hikari-san, do you think that Deidara's explosions should really be works of art, especially since they only last for a second?"

"Well, I…" I started but was cut off by Deidara. "Of course they're works of art, un!"

"Art is most beautifully when it lasts forever."

"No it's not, un!" Deidara yelled and Sasori and Deidara began to argue about what art was. I sat staring at the two an awe that they were able to argue so passionately about the subject, while Hidan slurped up the last of his noodles. "Damn, those two are so fucking loud. Hey, Hikari."

I looked up at him, "Hn?"

"Let's go pray."

I thought about it a minute. Was there anything that I really needed to pray to Jashin about? The image of Kakuzu flashed in my head. I can't run anymore; I'll only be able to hide my secret for so long. Kakuzu isn't stupid, to be honest, I'm surprised I've been able to last so long without him realizing who I really am. "Yeah, I think that's a good idea," I said to Hidan's suggestion.

"Okay, wait here, I'm gonna go get my fucking scythe," Hidan told me, getting up to leave. "Don't let Sasori and Deidara's bitching make your ears bleed."

* * *

I watched Hikari leave the room and I sat down at my desk. I took out my suitcase and my calculator. Opening the suitcase, I began to count the money, but soon tossed the bills back in the suitcase and closing it. There was no point. For some reason I couldn't get Hikari out of my head. For some reason, she reminds me a lot of Hikaru. But that's impossible! Hikaru should be dead or at least a very old woman by now….but what if she converted to Jashinism **after** I left?

That was a reasonable explanation. Hikari after all was Jashinist, if I can figure out how long she's been one, then that means it could be Hikari might really be Hikaru….but they look nothing alike. Hikaru had rich deep brown hair, with very dark, almost black, brown eyes to match. Hikari has white hair that apparently shimmers in the sunlight, and pinkish-violet eyes.

I sighed and opened the suitcase again, taking out a wad of cash. I shouldn't care if Hikari is really Hikaru or not. What happened between us was so long ago. I counted a few bills before setting them down and opening the bottom drawer of my desk. Reaching to the far back of the drawer, I pulled out a small black box. Opening the box, I took out a silver ring with a single emerald in the middle of two smaller diamonds. This ring is a Katamiya Family Heirloom, worn by the woman of the Katamiya family for ages, which explained why the ring was too small to fit on his own finger. I never did sell it because the bastard that wanted me to retrieve the ring got himself killed the night I got to his mansion.

After examining the ring for a minute, I put it back in the box and put the box back in the drawer. I haven't thought about Katamiya Hikari in years, why should I start now? But the similarities between Hikari and Hikaru, just seem to be more than coincidence, especially they're regeneration powers…

My train of thought stopped when I heard the door of the room open. I look to see Hidan come in and grab his scythe. "Where are you going?" I asked.

"Me and Hikari are going to go pray. Is there a fucking problem with that?"

"No."

"I think you do," Hidan said, I could hear a smirk his voice.

"What makes you think that?" I said non-caringly. I finally began to count the money in the suitcase.

"I know for a fucking fact that you took Hikari in your bed last night. Don't think I didn't fucking notice."

"She was lying on the floor," I growled. "Maybe if you slept still like a normal person, instead of kicking around all the time, she would have stayed in your bed. Besides, if she got a cold, then we'd have to go buy medicine."

"Yeah, but did you really have to put her in **your** fucking bed? Why not put her on the couch, in the living room, with a blanket? You didn't have to go back to sleep **with **her in the **same** fucking bed."

"Get the hell out, before I kill you."

"Fine, fine, I'm going," Hidan said, leaving the room.

I continued to count my money, with somewhat of a scowl on my face, which disappeared as I came to a realization. Why didn't I put her on the couch? Why did I go back to sleep with her in my bed? Why did I wake up to her in my arms? Why did it feel so right?

* * *

Both Hidan and I went to the river Kisame and I was fighting on previously before. While he went off to look for a sacrifice, I drew Jashin's symbol in the ground, kneeled in it, and folded my hands in prayer.

_Jashin, what should I do?_

_**What should you do about what? You mean what you should do with your Romeo who came back from the dead?**_

_Yeah, I want to tell him, but I don't to at the same time._

_**Why do women make things more complicated than they need to be? Just tell him who you are. You don't have anything to lose.**_

_But he never loved me….I can't._

_**Then don't. Damn, stop making things difficult and pray about something worth praying about.**_

_But you're my God, can't you at least listen to my problems?_

_**Do I look like a psychiatrist or something?**_

_Actually I don't know what you look like. _I laughed to myself mentally. Then I sighed. "But what should I do? Were we just not meant to be together?" I felt something drop on my lap. Looking down, I saw a thin branch, more like a twig, from a Sakura tree. About 4 or 5 blossoms were on the end of the branch.

_**It's up to you? Will you let the blossoms wilt away and die? Or will you go against the fate Destiny has given them?**_

* * *

I went into the kitchen about 15 minutes after Hidan and Hikari went to go pray. Sasori and the new kid Deidara were arguing about art. Ignoring their conversation, I began to make myself a cup of tea by heating the water in the tea pot with green tea leaves.

I heard a laugh and looked behind me to see Hikari walk into the kitchen. "Are you guys still arguing?"

"Yeah, Hikari, don't you think things that last for a brief moment are the best, un?"

"Well, not really…if I find something I really like, I'd want it to last forever," she answered, but upon seeing Deidara's bummed out face she quickly added, "But I guess things like that don't always last forever so we should enjoy them as much as possible in that brief moment."

Deidara seemed to grin, before asking her, "Why are you holding sakura Hikari? I thought you didn't like them, un." I could feel my body tense when I heard the word sakura. From what I remember Hikaru didn't really like sakura either…why was that again? Trying to shake the question from my head, I began to pour the tea into a cup.

"A girl who doesn't like sakura?" Sasori asked. "Why don't you like them?"

Then the weirdest thing happened, I heard Hikari's voice, but saw Hikaru's face. "I think they're depressing because they wilt and die, because it's their fate."

"Shit!" I shouted as I felt the steaming hot tea miss the cup and hit my hand. I could feel Deidara's, Sasori's and Hikari's eyes on me. I turned around to go to the bathroom to clean up to see Hikari standing behind me.

"Are you alright Kuzu?" I heard her ask, with worry in her voice. Again the image of Hikaru flashed in my head.

"What?" I asked bluntly.

"Um…I asked if you're alright?" She asked again, more timidly.

I shook my head. "No, what did you call me?" I asked, looking into her pink-violet eyes.

"Ka-Kakuzu," she kind of stuttered. "I called you Kakuzu. What else would I call you?" She said, more firmly. I walked past her, left the kitchen and went into the bathroom. Kuzu. Kuzu. That's what Hikaru used to call me isn't it?

|/*\|

The more confused and thoughtful we become,

We either continue to try to hide the truth or push it away out of our minds, in disbelief.


	9. Note

**Yo~!**

**Don't worry, I'm gonna post a new chapter soon.**

**I've been taking a break because I had finals last week. (Yeah, I'm in a trimester system)**

**I've also been busy drawing my own manga I want to put online......I really need to work on my drawing skills some more. **

**I've been thinking a lot about how to continue the story.**

**I'm just having a lot of trouble linking two parts together is all. **

**Hopefully the new chapter will be up before Thanksgiving, the earliest it'll go up is probably this coming Monday.**

**Thank you all for subscribing and reviewing!**


	10. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

It takes only one missing piece of evidence…

|/*\|

Two weeks, two weeks has passed since I've become a part of the Akatsuki….and I still haven't told Kakuzu. I've imagined myself telling him loads of times before, but every time I do, I think of a horrible outcome.

I sat quietly at the kitchen table, holding a cup of coffee. It was still kind of early in the morning. The clock read 8:00 AM. Maybe I'll go pray to Jashin for a few hours after my coffee…

I looked up at the kitchen entrance, when I heard footsteps. Standing there was Kakuzu , does he usually wake up this early?

"You're up early," he commented as he walked to the counter to get his breakfast.

"Yeah, I guess so," I reply casually and continue to drink my coffee.

"I'd think you'd be more tired, since you're sleeping with Hidan."

I choked on my coffee before spitting it out. "Excuse me?"

"Please get your mind out of the gutter Hikari," He said without turning his head. I felt my cheeks turn crimson. Does he have to be so blunt? Can't he laugh about it or something?

He sat down in front of me with a bowl of cereal…how boring. "You're face is red, did you know that?" Kakuzu asked me.

"Yes, yes I do know that!" I glared.

Playing with his spoon, he asked me, "How could you possibly know? You can't see your own face without a mirror, you know that right?"

"I know that too!" I could feel myself go redder due to my stupidity. "I-I could feel myself turning red."

"I was just making a comment, there's no need to get so upset about it."

I muttered. "I'm not upset."

"Uh huh, will you stop looking at me?"

"Why?" I asked incredulously.

"I prefer people not watching me while I eat."

"Why does it make you feel uncomfortable?" I smirked. Can it be? Does Kakuzu really have a weakness?

"No, it makes other people uncomfortable. So go away."

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"No, I can sit here, drink my coffee, and watch you eat if I want to."

"Leave now, or I'll fucking kill you." I could see a vein twitching.

"You can't do that because I'm immortal!" I said happily, propping my head up with my hands. "So start eating!"

He glared at me before slipping off his mask. I could hear my small intake of breath as he revealed his handsome face. He began to eat and I continued to stare at him. Everything about his face was perfect, his tone so even, and his chin perfectly angular, even the thread that was sewed on the corners of his mouth. Everything about him was perfect to me.

"_C'mon Kuzu! Lemme see under your mask!" I was trying to chase him in my kimono, but was failing. _

"_No way, you don't want to know what's under it," He was backing away cautiously._

"_Yes I do!"_

"_You'll just regret it, just stay away."_

"_Kakuzu, I order you to show me what's under that mask!" I said with all the authority I could muster._

"_No, that's an invasion of privacy."_

"_But you're my servant, you __**have**__ to do what I say!"_

"_Aren't you the one that keeps telling me that I'm __**not**__ your servant, but a good friend and a body guard?" He asked. I frowned. Damn, why must he always be right?_

"_Fine," I pouted. "Then play hide and seek with me!"_

"_Hikaru-san, that's a child's game. Shouldn't you be playing something like shogi?"_

"_No way. I'm not going to be young forever Kakuzu. I have to live like a child while I still can."_

"_You're seventeen. You're hardly a child."_

"_Yes, but I'm not an adult yet either!" I ran up to him and began to pull on the front of his shirt, like a child. "Please play with me Kuzu, please?"_

_He stared down at me and began to count, "One, two, three…"_

_I grinned and began to run back into the head house of our compound. Taking a right down one hall and a left at another, I hid in a nearby closet that the maids used to keep their mops and buckets and what not in. "Ready or not, here I come!" I heard Kakuzu yell in his booming voice. I grinned and waited impatiently for him to find me._

_Surely enough, a minute or so later, I could feel Kakuzu's presence outside of the closet door. Slowly the door knob turned and I got ready to burst out. The light from outside shined in and I heard Kakuzu say, "I know you're here Hikaru. Can't you put more effo…UFFF!" I tackled Kakuzu onto the floor._

_After struggling with him for a second, I lifted my right hand in the air, holding his mask up triumphantly. But I felt the mask slip through my fingers, when I looked down and saw Kakuzu's face. There was nothing really wrong with it, except for the stitches on the corners of his mouth. Despite the stitches, he still looked handsome to me. He was still Kakuzu._

"_I told you that you wouldn't want to see me without my mask," he muttered, but I ignored him. My fingers traced the stitches of his mouth and slowly moved up his face to pull off the strange hat he wears, allowing his brown hair to come down and frame his face. Kakuzu stared up at me, in somewhat disbelief. _

"_I think you look handsome," I said quietly. I could see Kakuzu's cheeks tinge red and he looked away. _

_Looking back at me, he said, "Hikaru, can you get off now?"_

_I looked down to see that I'm still sitting on top of him. "Oh, yeah." I moved to get up, but felt Kakuzu grab my wrist and pull me down into a kiss. Although he pulled me down rather roughly, the kiss was soft and sweet. A thousand butterflies seemed to be fluttering around in my stomach. He pulled away and he stared into my eyes. I stared back into his._

Hn, even after all these years, I still I guess I still love him. My Jashin, you'd think I'd learn.

_**Yes, I thought you did learn. But I guess it just comes to show, women are really stupid**__. _I heard Jashin speak to me.

My eye twitched. _Well, since us women are so stupid then why did you create us? _I asked in my mind sarcastically.

_**Do I really need to answer that question?**_

I glared at nothing. "_You sick, perverted bastard."_

"Oi Hikari, what are you glaring to yourself about? It's starting to creep me out," Kakuzu said, poking me with his spoon.

I blinked and was back in reality. I sat up quickly, a little in shock of the flashback I just had and completely forgetting Kakuzu was here. In the process I knocked down my coffee cup, which somehow spilled onto Kakuzu's lap. Crap. "I-I'm sooo sorry Kakuzu. I didn't mean to…I was just s-startled and I…"

"Hikari, just leave," Kakuzu said obviously trying to control his anger. I left the kitchen, before he could tell me a second time.

"My Jashin it's so hot…" I complained as I walked into the living room. I had just come back inside after praying to Jashin for three hours outside in the blazing heat. If that doesn't make me a loyal follower, then I don't know what does. I collapsed onto a couch beside Deidara.

"Yeah," Deidara agreed with me. "This fan isn't really working for me either, un."

I reached out for his hand-powered fan. "Lemme see it." Taking the fan from him, I began to fan myself. So cool… "What are you talking about? It's working just fine for me.

"Yeah, but it gets so tiring after a while and when you stop, you end up hotter than you were before, un."

"Aren't you ninja? Can't you handle it Deidara?" I asked, still fanning myself.

"Shut up, un." We both glared at each in silence for a few minutes, until I stopped fanning myself. "Hn? Why'd you stop fanning yourself, un?"

I looked away. "It got too tiring."

Deidara grinned. "See? What did I tell you, un?"

"Don't even start!" I said, throwing his fan back at him. "Hmmm, you know what? We should go play in the river and cool off."

"Hikari, I'm not 8 years old anymore and you're not exactly young either, un."

I glared at him. "Hey, as long as I have my 17 year old body, I can act as young as I want!"

"That still doesn't change the fact that you're old, un."

I began to cry waterfalls. "Gah! You're so cruel to me Dei-kun! You don't see me making fun of you because you look like a girl…"

Deidara jumped on me and began pulling my hair. "What did you call me, un!"

"A girl, now let go!"

"Not until you take it back, un!"

"Now look who's acting like a child! I'm not taking it back until you go play in the river with me!" I whined.

"You're the one who's acting like a kid! Now take it back, un!"

"No! Come with me to the river!"

"The river?" A new voice stopped Deidara and me in our little brawl. We looked over to the entrance to the living room to see Hidan. "Since Deidara doesn't want to go, why don't we just fucking go together Hikari?"

"See Deidara? Do you really want me to go **alone** with **Hidan**?"

"What the hell is that suppose to mean, you bitch!"

Deidara looked from me to Hidan and back at me. "Alright, let's go un."

I went in my room to go change into a bathing suit, but remembered that I didn't have one. Ah well, I guess I'll just wear a tank top and shorts or something. Changing quickly and grabbing a towel, I left my room and went back to the living room, where Hidan and Deidara were ready to go and waiting.

"What the hell are you wearing Hikari!" Hidan asked me rather rudely.

"Well, I don't have a swimming suit, so this is what I'm going to wear," I explained to him. Hidan left and came back with a red bikini. He held it out to me. "Here wear this."

"Where the hell did you get that, un!"

Hidan smirked. "I have my ways. Don't worry about it and go fucking change."

"There's no way in hell I'm wearing this!"

"You're my fucking subordinate, so that means you do as you're told! Now go fucking change!" Hidan yelled, kicking me towards my room.

After putting on the embarrassing suit and yelling at Hidan for trying to take off the oversized shirt I wore over it, Hidan, Deidara, and I finally made it to the river. Deidara took no hesitation in ripping his shirt off and jumping right in. "Ah! It feels so great, un!"

I laughed and took off my shirt. I was about to go join Deidara when I felt Hidan smack my ass. "See? Don't I have a good fucking eye for these kinds of things?"

My eyebrowed twitched. "Stop invading my personal space you jerk!" I kicked him hard enough so that he fell into the river. I laughed as I watched him come up to the surface sputtering. About to jump in, I paused for a moment. I had forgotten to take of my Jashin necklace and my heart shaped locket. Quickly taking both off, I tossed the two onto my towel and ran in. SPLASH!

"Jashin Hikari, stop making me wet!" Hidan shouted at me.

"Ha, that's what your mom said last night, un," Deidara said smirking.

"Wow Deidara, I knew you were desperate, but do you really do it with wrinkly old ladies?" I asked.

"Hey, he did it with you didn't he?" Hidan asked. I gasped and dunked Hidan's head in the water.

"Take that you zombie! I hope you drown!" I laughed evilly, but stopped when I was doused by water.

"That's what you get Hikari! Just to let you know, I've gotten more pussy than you ever had, un!"

"Well, I hope so, because if you were getting dicks than that would be a problem wouldn't it?"

Deidara turned red. "Shut up, un!" He tackled me into the water.

* * *

What a pain. Where the hell is he? I searched the whole base and I hadn't found Deidara anywhere. Stupid Leader, why can't he just look for him himself? I got money to count and expenses to meet.

I walked into the kitchen to see Zetsu. "Oi, Zetsu. Have you seen Deidara around?"

"He went to the river."

"The river?"

"**No, he went to the desert. **Yes, the river."

I frowned. "I was just wondering why he would go there."

"Like I would know."

I left the kitchen and went outside. Almost immediately, I was overwhelmed by the heat. So hot. Maybe I should have brought a fan with me. But then again, fans make you tired and even hotter when you stop fanning. A few minutes walking towards the river, I heard splashes and shouts.

"KYA! Hidan, what are you doing!" I heard Hikari shout.

"I'm not doing anything, you paranoid bitch!"

"You just tried to undo my bikini top you pervert! Help me take him under Deidara!"

I sighed. How old did those three think they are? I walked closer to the three buffoons and watched them play in the water from afar. Hikari and Deidara allowed Hidan to surface.

"You fucking assholes! You know how much fucking water is in my fucking lungs!" Hidan shouted and went to tackle both Hikari and Deidara. Deidara moved out of the way, but Hikari shrieked and was taken under.

I walked to the shore and shouted. "Hey Deidara!" Deidara looked over at me. "Leader wants to see you! Get your ass out of there!" He waved a hand to show he understood and began walking back to shore. I turned to leave, but a glint caught my eye. I looked down at a towel placed on the floor. On the towel was a Jashin necklace and a heart shaped locket. I picked up the locket and examined it more closely. I cracked open the locket to find a heart shaped emerald inside. My eyes widened as I realized that this was the exact same locket I gave to Katamiya Hikaru.

* * *

After I finally managed to get Hidan off of me, I looked around. "Hidan? Where did Deidara go?"

"Oh, Leader wanted to fucking see him, so he left. Looks like it's just you and me now," he smirked, wrapping an arm around my waist. I slapped his face. "No way!"

Escaping his clutches I made it back to shore. "Damn it, Hikari. You're no fun at all." I stuck my tounge out at him as I reached for my towel, but noticed that my locket was missing.

Hidan was already a ways ahead of me and turned back. "Hikari! Aren't you coming!" he shouted back at me.

"I think I lost something! Just go ahead without me!" I shouted back and he nodded. I began to scramble around the grass. Where did it go? Where did it go? I could feel tears swell up in my eyes. I can't believe I lost it. I lost it. I crawled to the roots to a nearby tree to see if I somehow flung it that way, but my heart stopped when I saw a pair of feet. I looked up to see Kakuzu, who was holding my locket. "Did you lose something, Hikaru?"

|/*\|

Only one piece of evidence is needed to finish the puzzle.


	11. Chapter 9

**A/N: I'm kinda iffy on this chapter, oh well. I'm thinking that the next chapter after this one, will be the last chapter for this story. **

**Reminder: **_**Italics, means it's a flashback.**_

* * *

**Chapter 9**

Don't blame the happenings and events of your life on some spiritual being.

|/*\|

I looked up to see Kakuzu, who was holding my locket. "Did you lose something, Hikaru?"

My eyes grew wide, my throat dry. I stopped breathing. "Uh…I…I…" I stuttered. I didn't know what to say. What could I say?

"Tell me Hikaru, how long were you going to keep it to yourself?" He whispered softly, yet his tone of voice sent a shiver down my spine. "How long were you going to keep your identity hidden from me?" The volume of his voice began to escalate. I suddenly felt my feet lift off the ground and my back was slammed against the tree. I gasped for air as Kakuzu held me up by the neck. I gazed down at him confused. "Did you think you'd have a little fun!"

"N-no…." I gasped for air again.

"You think you could play me for a fool!"

"No..."

"Did you know ever since you came to us, I've been dreaming about you ever since! Your stupid smile, your bloody laugh going through my head again and again…it's driving me crazy!" I continued to look down at him, not that I could look anywhere else. I knew that I was crying and I was afraid that would make him even angrier. Hell, I don't even know why he's angry. I tried to blink back tears, but it just caused them to fall faster.

"All these years, you've been gone and you just pop back up in my life! What the hell is up with that!"

My tears of fear were replaced with tears of anger. "What the hell are **you** talking about?" I shouted, despite my lack of air. "**You're** the one who left **me**! **You're **the one who betrayed **me! You're **the one who broke **my **heart when you chose to carry on with your bloody job so you could get your bloody money! You're a fucking bastard!"

"Shut up…" Kakuzu growled, tightening his grip on my throat.

But I did not shut up; I had much more to say. Squirming under his grip, I continued. "Why the hell would you care that I'm alive and kicking anyways! You never even loved me! Did you!" I screamed at him, but gasped when I heard the familiar sound of my neck cracking and was surrounded by a familiar darkness.

**Ke ke ke, what is this? The 4th time you've been killed in a month? Tsk tsk, Hikaru, you're losing your touch.**

"Why are you doing this to me?" I asked in the dark. "Why did you make me see him again? Of all the people…"

**I don't know what you're talking about,** Jashin replied. I could hear a smirk in his voice.

"Don't bullshit me. Aren't you the damned spiritual being that controls my destiny?"

**I suppose…**

"What the hell do you mean you suppose!"

**Sure, I control it. I made it so you were immortal, I made it so that your family would find you, but it was mere chance that you met Deidara and it was his choice to join the Akatsuki. I made it so you would finally meet my loyal follower, since the two of you were taking so damn long. It was mere chance that Kakuzu happened to be Hidan's partner. **

"If you're trying to say something, will you just say it?"

**Hikaru, you're the one who decided to stay with the Akatsuki. You could've left all this time if being with Kakuzu made you so uncomfortable.**

My eyebrow twitched. "The only reason I stayed with Akatsuki was because you're fucking follower Hidan, who I spent eleven years looking for, was there."

…**Oh yeah, I forgot about that.**

"Jashin, what kind of God are you?"

**What kind of god do you think I am?**

"Hmmm…one that loves pain and suffering of his creations **and** has a lot of free time on his hands."

**Come now. I don't enjoy the pain and suffering of all of my creations. **

"Is that why you created this world of ninja? So you could amuse yourself with others pain and suffering?"

**I created this world because I was bored, for my own amusement. I created humans so that they could make their own decisions, so I can sit back and watch. That's why I don't really meddle in with human affairs. Where would the fun be in that?**

"Aren't you meddling in with **my** affairs?"

**Why yes, yes I am, but you still of your ability to make decisions. I'm just pushing you an a certain direction. You can still turn and walk the other way. **

"That doesn't make any sense."

**Well I wouldn't expect your human sized brain to comprehend the thoughts and ideas of a God.**

I was silent for a moment. "So did you create sex because you enjoy the moans, groans, and screams of innocent women losing their virginity?"

I was met by momentary silence. **Shouldn't you be waking up right about now?**

"Hn, perverted bastard," I muttered under my breath.

**It doesn't matter if you mutter or not, I still know what you're thinking.**

I groaned as I opened my eyes. It was no longer sunny. The sky was painted with dark grey swirls, but even so, it was still humid. I laid on the hard ground and Kakuzu was nowhere in sight. My eyes scanned the ground, searching for my locket, but it was nowhere to be seen. "Dear Jashin, I don't feel like moving," I said to no one in particular.

Drip…..Drip…..drip…drip…drip..drip drip drip drip drip, it began to rain. I watched as a spider near-by didn't even bother to move out of the rain. Only moving my arm, I was able to pick up the spider and move it to the roots of the tree. Allowing my arm to rest on the ground, I stayed where I lay, unmoving. The rain continued to fall down and matted my hair against my face. I began to weep, tears mixing with the rain on my face.

I want to forget. I don't want to remember. I want it to stop raining.

**I don't even leave you alone for a minute, and you turn into an emo bitch.**

"Jashin, I'm not in the mood anymore. My heart was broken, again, by the same person. I can be an emotional wreck right now if I want to…"

**I'll send someone to come get you.**

"No, right now I just want to be alone."

* * *

I stormed back into the base, angry beyond belief. I don't even know why was even that angry to begin with. Hikaru's words replayed in my head, _"Why the hell would you care that I'm alive and kicking anyways! You never even loved me! Did you!"_

"God damn it!" I slammed the door to my room and lay down on the bed. Thank the fucking lord Hidan wasn't in here right now. There's no way I'd be able to deal with him right now.

I held up the locket I still held to the light. I loved her. Even the lord Jashin, knows I loved her.

"_Hikaru, why are you so upset?" I asked her. She had stormed out of a private meeting with her father and left to the garden. _

"_My father wants me to be married."_

_My eyes widened, but I stayed calm. "Married? Shouldn't you be happy about that?"_

_She shook her head. "I never even met the man," her voice was cold and lifeless._

"_Well, you're 17 and still unmarried. Many nobles' daughters are married at 15 and 16. Your father's just worried for your future," I tried to act nonchalant about it, but the thought of another man with Hikaru, made my blood boil._

"_But I'm happy with my life the way it is now."_

"_I'm sure it won't be that bad."_

"_I'm sure it won't be, but if I get married, then I'll be sent away. I don't think I'd be allowed to take you with me Kakuzu."_

"_What!" _

"_If I get married, my husband will already have bodyguards…so there'd be no reason to have you anymore," she cried. _

_I watched thin streams of tears fall down her cheeks. I frowned and took her face in my hands, wiping away the tears with my thumbs. I looked down into her eyes"I hate it when you cry, Hikaru."_

_My own eyes grew wide as she pulled me into a hug. "Kakuzu, I don't want to leave you," she said, burying her face into my chest. "I don't think I'd ever live without you."`_

_I whispered in her ear, "Turn around Hikaru." She looked up at me confused, but turned around obediently. I reached into my pocket, pulled out a heart shaped locket, and put it on her. _

_She looked down and I could hear a smile in her voice. "It's beautiful Kakuzu."_

_I hugged her from behind. "No plain ordinary ring would do for my proposal to you."_

"_Proposal?" Her voice sounded breathless._

"_Hikaru, I want you to marry me."_

"_Marry you?" She repeated. "I can't."_

"_Why not?" My voice was still soft._

"_Father…would never allow it. You're…you're not a noble."_

"_Then run away with me."_

"_Run away?"_

"_You don't want to get married to that other man anyways and I know why. It's because you love me, don't you?" I could tell that she was blushing, even though I couldn't see her face. It only made me hold her tighter. _

"GOD DAMN IT!" I yelled and threw that damned necklace clear across the room. I thought I could have it all. I thought I could sell that damned ring **and** have Hikaru at the same time. If only Hikaru didn't come up to her stepmother's bedroom to give her tea, then things would have turned out much different. Stealing that damned ring turned out to be a waste anyway, since my employer died on me. Why didn't I just pick Hikaru? Why?

I was still lying on my bed a hour later since I was too frustrated to do anything. "Oi, Kakuzu," Hidan walked in. "Where's Hikari?"

"Why the hell would I know?" I asked, acting like I didn't care.

"It's been more than an hour since I got back from swimming with her earlier this afternoon. She said she'd be right behind me, but now I can't find her anywhere."

"Why don't you go find her then?"

"Why the hell would I do that!"

I stared at him strangely. "If you want her, why don't you just find her yourself?"

"What if she's having spiritual time with Jashin?"

My eye twitched. "What?"

Hidan then looked at me and smirked, "Or maybe she's out seeing a secret boyfriend."

"Like I care about that."

"I never fucking said that you did care."

"You were implying it."

"Whatever, go look for her," Hidan ordered me. "You were the last one to go into the base since this afternoon, so you're probably the last one who's seen her." Before I could say a word, Hidan left the room.

I walked in the rain, towards the spot I left Hikaru at. I was mad, surprised, and relieved when I found her still there. Her body was soaked and she was still wearing her red bikini. I knelt down beside her. "Hikaru, Hikaru," I nudged her to wake her up, but failed. Is she dead? Or is she asleep? If she's asleep...then how in the hell did she fall asleep in the rain! Sighing, I swept her up off the ground and proceeded to take her back to base.

|/*\|

The events and happenings, during our life time, are the results of our own decisions.


	12. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

A human is most likely to fall in love with another human in some point in their life,

No matter their shape, sex, or race.

|/*\|

"How the hell did she get a fever, un!"

"I don't know, maybe because she passed out in the rain," I heard someone suggest sarcastically.

"How did you even change her clothes, un!"

"I didn't do that, Hidan did, while I went to the medicine cabinet…"

"What! You let that perverted bastard touch her, un!"

"Hold it, you blond bitch! All I did was dry her off and put some clothes on her! I didn't even take off her fucking bikini!" I heard Hidan's voice defend himself.

"Why was she even out in the rain anyway! You did something didn't you Kakuzu, un!"

"I didn't do anything…" I heard Kakuzu mumble.

"You liar! You were the last one that came in contact with her right! What the hell did you do to her, un!"

By now, my head was pounding. I cracked open my eyes and saw Deidara, Kakuzu, and Hidan surrounding the foot of the bed I was lying in. "Deidara," I croaked out. My throat felt very dry. "You're too loud, as always…"

"Hikari!" Deidara rushed to the bed's side and hit me lightly on the head. "What were you thinking! Lying out in the rain like that, un!"

I laughed. "Deidara, you're too cute. Maybe I should've gotten a boyfriend while you were growing up."

"Why, un?" Deidara asked, a bit surprised.

"Because you're acting way too much like a woman right now. I mean, right now you're treating me like a mother would treat her child."

"Shut up!" Deidara shouted, his cheeks turned red, while Hidan began to laugh. "I was just worried is all! You could've gotten pneumonia or something. What were you doing out there anyways, un!"

I paused, before answering. "I was just…thinking about some things."

Deidara sighed. "Well, it'll take you a day or two to recover. Hidan and Kakuzu will be taking care of you while I'm gone, un."

"Gone?"

"Yeah, Sasori-danna and I are leaving for a mission later today. We'll be back in a few weeks, un."

"Hidan's going to be taking care of me?" I asked in disbelief.

"Hey, I'll let you know that I fucking know all the right tricks in making a woman feel good…" Hidan said with a smirk.

"Deidara…save me."

"How fucking rude! I was the one that put clothes on your sorry ass!"

"Kakuzu," Deidara said, "Please make sure Hikaru isn't raped." Kakuzu grunted.

"Damn! I make one comment. One comment and you all start thinking I'm gonna rape her."

Deidara ignored Hidan's comment and ruffled my hair. "I'll be back soon. Okay Hikari?" I smiled up at him and nodded, and then he left the room.

Kakuzu too, was about to leave the room when Hidan yelled at him. "Where the hell are you going? Aren't you afraid I'm going to rape her?" Hidan asked sarcastically.

"Like hell you would," Kakuzu replied in a nonchalant voice. "I'm going to make her something to eat. You're hungry aren't you?" He directed the last question at me. I nodded slowly and he left the room.

Hidan flopped onto the bed I was in. "OUCH!" He just flopped onto my legs. "Get off! You're crushing my legs."

Hidan laughed. "C'mon. I'm not that heavy."

I rolled my eyes. "I hate to admit this, but I'm sick and therefore kinda weak at the moment."

Hidan said nothing and a silence fell between us. "Hey Bitch,"

"What asshole?"

"There's something between you and that bastard Kakuzu isn't there?"

I glared at him. "What makes you think that?" I asked sharply.

"The way you responded, when he asked if you're hungry. The way Kakuzu is acting so non-caringly about, which makes it rather fucking obvious he does care. The way you answered him, when he simply asked if you were fucking hungry or not…" Hidan began to list a bunch of things, while only one thought ran through my mind…

"Hidan, when the hell did you get so smart?"

"Ha! So you fucking admit that…" Hidan started, but soon realized that I had just insulted him and had me in a head lock in an instant. "You take that fucking back you bitch!"

"Watch it Hidan! You're hurting me!"

"That's the fucking point!"

"Get away from me, unless you want to get sick too!"

"You can't catch a fucking fever dumbass!"

"Yeah, you can!"

"No you fucking can't!"

"How the hell do you know that!"

Hidan stopped trying to choke me to death. "How do I know that?" He asked himself, I sweat dropped.

"I leave you guys alone for 5 minutes, only 5 minutes and you guys are already attacking each other?" Kakuzu asked rather pissed off, carrying a tray with a bowl of soup on it.

"Like hell I started it. It's all the bitch's fault," Hidan said releasing me from his chokehold and strolling across the room to get his scythe. Kakuzu proceeded to place the tray on my lap, obviously avoiding eye contact, and went to his desk, to no doubt make some calculations having to do with money.

"Is it my fault that I can't make a simple comment, without being attacked by a madman?" I pouted, looking away to one side.

"Oi, Hikari. Isn't this yours?" Hidan threw the heart shaped locket at me and I caught it with my left hand. Hidan smirked. "I bet I know who gave that to you." His eyes looked over at Kakuzu and back at me.

I blushed madly. "Shut up Hidan!"

"Jashin Hikari, can't you come up with anything fucking better than that!" Hidan laughed and went to the door.

Kakuzu spoke. "Where are you going Hidan?"

"To pray, so just stay her and watch our little bitch, yeah?" Hidan left the room, leaving me alone with Kakuzu.

Alone with Kakuzu. Damn you Hidan! I screamed in my head and began to eat my plain old chicken soup. It was quiet, too quiet, except for the punching of numbers into a calculator and the sounds that came along with me eating. Ten minutes later I finished eating and Kakuzu was still sitting at his desk, inputting numerals into his calculator. I took the tray off my lap and placed it on the bedside table. I gazed down at the locket I held in my hands.

Why? Why did I keep this locket with me all this time? Why didn't I just get rid of it? I know Kakuzu doesn't love me…so why did I keep it? I wiped my eyes, before any tears could fall, and looked up at Kakuzu.

I opened my mouth to say something, but the words I wanted to say seemed to be lodged in my throat. My heart began to quicken and my throat felt parched. I tried to swallow to moisten my throat, but it was still dry afterward. Am I nervous or am I just scared to talk to him?

Shaking my head and pinching my arms, I took in a deep breath. "Ka-Kakuzu, will you please look at me for a moment?" I nearly choked out.

* * *

"Ka-Kakuzu, will you please look at me for a moment?" I heard Hikaru's soft voice ask a bit shaky, but I chose to ignore her.

She coughed before repeating. "Ka-Kakuzu, will you please look at me?" Biting my lip, I turned in my seat to look at her, lying in my bed. She held up the locket. "Tell me what this is."

I just stared at her. She repeated again, her voice a little stronger. "Please, tell me what this is."

"A locket."

"Who gave me this locket?"

I paused for a moment. What is she getting at? "I gave it to you."

"Tell me why."

I closed my eyes. "I gave it to you…when I proposed to you."

"Why did you propose to me?" she asked and my eyes snapped opened, so I could look at her. The tears that began to swell up in her eyes were reflected by the light.

For some reason, I felt like I was going to choke. "Because…I…I…." I didn't finish the sentence. I couldn't bring myself to. I turned in my seat to look away from. I didn't want to look at her.

I nearly jumped in my seat, when I heard her laugh. It wasn't a cheerfully laugh. It was more of a mournful laugh, if that's even possible. "Did you know that I've worn this locket every day, ever since I came back to life?" She asked me. "Every day, I never took it off and when I did I always kept it close by. I could've sold it or given it away, so that way I wouldn't be reminded of you, but I didn't." She paused for a moment, before continuing. "I always thought my memories of you would simply fade away, but they never did. Not completely." Another pause, followed by another short laugh. "Did you know when I thought I lost the locket early today I almost cried?" I looked up at her at this. Thin streams of tears ran down both her cheeks.

"And now I wonder. Why is it that I care about what happens to this locket, which you gave me all those years ago? Why is that I still think about you?" She looked me in the eyes and I wanted to look away, but I couldn't. I felt locked in her pinkish-violet eyes. "Now I realize that I've been denying this fact, this past eleven years. Even though you've hurt me, emotionally and physically, I-I still love you." She buried her face in her hands as I sat there a bit shocked. I didn't know what to say or what to do. I just sat there…staring at her. It just seemed unbelievable that she still loved me after everything that has happened.

I think Hikaru became very embarrassed, since she pulled the bed covers over her head. I think it's because I didn't respond to her confession. I opened my desk drawer, reached into the back of the drawer, and pulled out the small black box. Cracking open the box, I took out the Katamiya Family Ring. I stood from where I sat and slowly walked to my bed, where Hikaru laid, sitting down on it carefully, so that I didn't sit on her and crush her under my weight. I gazed down at her as she hid herself under the covers. "Must you really act so childish?" I asked her.

I heard her muffled voice through the covers. "I'm going to be 17 years old forever. I can act childishly anytime I want."

Sighing, I pulled the covers from over her, to reveal her tear stained face. I reached out for her face with one hand. She flinched, but relaxed when I gently cupped her cheek and wiped her tears away. "You know I don't like to see you cry." She stared up at me, with what seemed to be a mix of relief, happiness, and confusion. I held out the ring to her. "Here. Take it."

She carefully took the ring from me, her eyes wide. "Why do you still have this?"

"The man that hired me to steal it was assassinated, when I went to deliver it to him."

"And you didn't think to sell it to someone else, like a jeweler, perhaps?"

"No, I decided to keep it." I saw her smile ever so slightly as she slipped the ring on her finger. We sat in silence for a moment. I looked at her and she looked at everything else in the room besides me. "You know," I said, bring her attention back to me. "All these years I had that ring. Every day I remember the day I went to deliver it to my employer, only to find him dead." I laughed. "I thought I could have both, the money and you, but it didn't work out that way, did it?" I sighed, rubbing my face with one hand. "Every day I remember the regret I felt, when I found out the man, who hired me, died. I've regretted…no I do regret choosing the money over you." I felt something wet begin to swell up in my eye. Surprised, I wiped the growing tears away. When was it the last time I began to cry? Why am I even crying? I bowed my head, feeling a bit confused. "Hikaru, please just forgive. Find some other man to love, someone other than me," I whispered in a low voice. "I've hurt you too much, it'd be better off if you just forget me."

I felt Hikaru gently place her hand under my chin to tilt my head, so that I was looking at her once again. "Didn't you hear me when is said I can't forget you? That even though I try so hard to forget, you still end up being all I ever think about?" I said nothing; I just looked into her eyes. She tentatively pulled down my masked and allowed the back of her fingers to graze my cheek, before pulling me down so that she could kiss me.

I pushed her down against the bed and placed my knees on both sides of her, without breaking the kiss. I slipped my tongue into her mouth, once again feeling around the familiar space. I savored her taste and I wanted more. I want nobody but her. I pulled away from our heated kiss and placed my forehead on hers, closing my eyes then opening them again. "I love you, Hikaru."

She smiled and simply said, "I know," before kissing me softly again. Then she pulled away, smiling again. "Now get off, you're crushing me beneath your weight."

|/*\|

We always remember the ones we love, even when they leave us behind.

We always think of the ones we love, even when they leave us behind.

Even when they leave us behind, somewhere deep in our hearts, we will always have our love for them.

* * *

**It doesn't matter whether or not a human is a man or a woman.**

**When it comes to confessing their love for one another, I find them both stupid.**

**But then again, if humans simply tell each other "I love you" and live happily forever after, it would be boring.**

**No, I don't find a simple love story to be enjoyable to watch or listen to.**

**I created humans so I could be entertained after all. **


End file.
